Connections
by Diviana Foresman
Summary: When Heero gets sick, a mysterious girl appears to help him face his past. Ch6
1. Chapter One

**Connections  
****
****Kaci Kulekowski**   


Duo ran out of the kitchen and past the den, pausing only to grab his coat. "Duo?!" Hilde asked, worried. 

"No time to explain, I've got to hurry..." he replied, searching for his keys. 

"Why? What happened?" Hilde handed him the key ring and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. 

"It's Heero. He's in the hospital..."   
***  
"Tro~wa!" Catherine yelled out as her younger brother drove off in the truck. She sighed. No gooodbye or anything. Catherine was about to go back into the trailer when she noticed the smiling half-mask laying on the ground. She bent down to pick it up and looked up at the darkening sky. "Oh, Trowa..."   
***  
"Wufei! Hurry up!" 

"I'm coming, I'm coming. No need to shout, woman." Sally sighed and started the truck.   
***  
"Yes, I understand, Colonel. I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks. Yeah, bye." Quatre hung up. "Rasheed!" 

"Yes, Master Quatre?" 

"That was Colonel Une. You remember Une, don't you?" he asked. The Maganack leader nodded affirmative. "Well, she's at the hospital and--" 

"Is she hurt, Master Quatre?" Abdul cut in. 

"Yes, tell us, Master Quatre! Is she alright?" said the others. 

Quatre sighed and raised his hands for silence. When it came, he tried again. "No, the colonel is not hurt. She just called to tell m-, us, that Heero might be though..." 

The Maganacks began talking again, and Quatre couldn't quiet them down. He finally gave up and walked to the car while Rasheed held back the other Maganacks.   
***  
The girl gently pressed the back of her hand to his arm, then his shoulder, and the side of his face. She flipped her hand over, palm down, and brushed his messy brown hair away from his forehead. The boy's skin was feverish and it glistened with beads of sweat. His hair looked almost black and it clumped together in limp strands that was plastered to his head. His breathing was ragged, even with the help of the respirator. She silently followed the IV tube to his right arm with her emerald green eyes. The girl sighed and sat on the edge of the hospital bed, gripping his sweaty hand in hers. 

After a few minutes, a nurse came in. She checked the machines crowded around the bed, and wrote onto her clipboard. As the nurse turned to go, she gave her a sad smile. The girl returned it with a small one of her own, then turned back to the boy. As she looked him over again, she noticed he wasn't wearing the green tank top he was before. Blushing, she gently pulled the sheet further up. 

As she did that, though, her fingers slightly brushed against his collerbone. The girl noticed that he twitched. Brows furrowed, she did it again, a bit more firmly this time. The girl couldn't help but notice how his body stiffened and grew rigid. 

If that's what happens when he's unconscious, what would have happened if he was awake? She shuddered at the thought. All of a sudden, something beeped. She whirled around, hoping it wasn't her fault. When she concluded that whatever it was, it wasn't going to do the boy any harm, she sat back down. 

"Na-nani (What)?!" she whispered. His body was just as limp as it was when she had got him there. She sighed and relaxed. This was going to be a long night...   
***  
"You can't go in there yet, Duo!" Sally said as she grabbed the braided pilot's arm. 

"Why not?!" 

"Because only one person is allowed in there at a time! When she comes out, then you can go in." she explained. 

"Relena?!" Duo asked worriedly. If that Peacecraft girl was in there, he'd never see Heero. 

"No, it's um... here, let me find it..." Sally started looking for something in a stack of papers and clipboards sitting on the wooden desk Wufei was leaning against. Quatre and Trowa looked at each other questioningly. Not Relena? But, then, who? Their thoughts were interrupted by Colonel Une as she walked in. 

"Kanashimii Tatakai. Fifteen. From around here, Tokyo, Japan, Earth. Anyone know her?" 

The four boys looked at each other, then shook their heads. Sally looked at the paper Une had handed her before running back to her office. "According to this medical report, she was the one who brought Heero in." The pilots looked surprised. 

"She's about the same height as Duo," Shinigami smirked, "Maybe a bit taller," Quatre chuckled as Duo's grin disappeared. "Emerald eyes, long black hair. I think she streaked it green..." Sally faded off as two nurses and a doctor rushed by and into room 314. 

Quatre broke the silence. "Isn't that..." 

"Yes," Sally replied softly. Before anyone could say anything else, she continued. "So, none of you know Kanashimii?" 

They began to shake their heads when a voice from behind Trowa said, "What about me?" They all turned to see a girl closing Heero's hospital room behind her. She was a little taller than Duo with dark hair that reached past her waist and big green eyes filled with tears. She seemed so innocent... 

"Are you Kanashimii?" Sally asked. 

"I prefer Kami, Major." the girl replied. 

"Very well. And you can just call me Sally." 

The girl nodded and was about to say something else when Duo came sauntering up to her. "You can call me anything you like, Kah-mee." he said in a low voice, drawing out her name. 

She raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. Then she turned back to Sally, saying "Baka kodomo (stupid child)." Sally laughed while Quatre and Trowa just smiled at Duo's hurt face. 

"Now, Kami, I--" Wufei interrupted Sally. 

"What are you doing out here, woman? Were you not with Heero?" 

"Heero? Is that his name?" She smiled. "Finally. I finally know his name..." she said under her breath. Talking louder, she answered Wufei's question. "I was. That is, until the doctors came in. Said only immediate family could be in there." 

Sally stepped forward. "Um, Kami, Could I see you in the office? The colonel and I would like to ask you a few questions." Kami took a deep breath and nodded. Sally excused themselves from the boys.   
***  
Kami sighed. She had told the major and the colonel all she knew about the boy they called Heero. She was now sitting in a hard-backed chair in the hallway, a few feet away from room 314. She saw him every morning on her way to work as a waitress, and every afternoon during her lunch break. Most Tuesday nights, they past each other on the street, both having their arms full of groceries. They had never spoken to each other until earlier that day; they barely even looked at each other. But that morning, it all changed. 

She had walked to the restaurant like she usually did, saw him down the street. He had seemed a little paler, but Kami had dismissed it quickly, being known for her imagination. Kami had gotten changed in her waitressing uniform, and was about to start collecting the menus, when a fellow waiter, Sandy, told her she had the day off. She had checked the schedule, and sure enough, she didn't have to work that day. Kami put her street clothes back on, and left, heading to the outside mall down the road. 

After picking up a few things, Kami began walking to her small apartment. She was so lost in her thoughts, the girl didn't notice where she was going. All of a sudden, she was overcome by a shadow. Kami looked up in time to catch the poor boy before he hit the ground. He mumbled something Kami thought was 'gomen ne', but she couldn't be sure, and besides, her hands hurt from the heat of his skin. Kami managed to get his arm around her shoulder and pick him up enough for her to stand. As she walked, the boy's feet dragged and his head drooped so low, his chin touched his chest. About halfway to the hospital, which was a few blocks away, Kami felt the boy's body go limp - he was unconcious. She somehow managed to get him to the emergency doors of the hospital, but just barely. And as tired as she was from the ordeal, Kami had sat next to him for almost an hour, making sure the mysterious boy was alright. 

Kami was upset that the doctors wouldn't let her be in there anymore, but as long as the boy was stable, she wasn't going to complain. At least, not out loud. Foolish people, she thought, don't they know I'm probably the only one he's got? Kami glanced over to the braided boy whom she had scoffed at earlier. He seemed okay, trying to cheer everyone up with his crazy antics. It seemed she was the only person there in a foul mood. 

As Kami was about to remark on Duo's position of standing on the chair saying "I'm the king of the world," a doctor came out into the hallway. Nearly everyone there rose from their seats. "Is anyone here," the doctor began, "akin to Mister Heero Yuy?" 

The four boys and the major shook their heads sadly, but Kami did not. "Yuy? He, his name is Heero Yuy?" The doctor nodded and asked if they were related. Sally, confused, looked at Kami, who was staring at the doctor, but the girl did not answer. Instead, she ran into the boy's hospital room. Sally and the other pilots followed her in. 

Kami had jumped onto the bed and was kneeling next to Heero, stroking his face. "Oniichan (Big brother)," she whispered, "Niichan, do you hear me? Niichan, please... please wake up... please Niichan..." 

Duo looked at Sally, startled. The other pilots were surpised as well. Before anyone could say anything about it, though, Kami gave a gasp of delight. They crowded around to see Heero concious. He looked at Kami, trying to figure out who she was, but there was no recognition in his eyes. 

"Niichan! I was worried..." 

"...Imoto(little sister)?" Heero smiled a little. "Ara akambou imoto(My baby sister)..." 

Kami wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Shisou anata shinde iru(I thought you were dead)." 

Heero patted her on the back and assured her. "Iie(No). Shinde iru janai. Chimei-teki na(I'm not dead. I'm deadly)..." 

Kami gave a small smile and whispered, "Hai. Watashi ni(Yes. Me, too)." 

Heero nodded, and pushed her away gently. She let go of his neck and sat back on her knees, still on the bed. Heero looked up and saw the other Gundam pilots and Sally. He sighed and glanced at Kami. 

The girl was staring at him, concerned. Heero followed her eyes to his right arm. Ch'kusho, he thought, and plucked the IV needle out of his skin before it fell out. I must have jarred it when I hugged her. Kami sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to do anything about the little stream of blood flowing out, and took her hankerchief out of her back pocket. She leaned over and wiped up the blood, then rolled the black hankerchief up and tied it around Heero's elbow. 

"You should take better care of yourself, Niichan." she said softly. 

"Hn..." Heero flipped the sheet over, and was about to swing his legs over the opposite side of the bed Kami was kneeling on when the door creaked open. 

Kami half leapt half fell off the bed, but landed on her feet, her left hand hovering near her back pocket. She relaxed and sat back down on the bed when the doctor stepped in. 

"Let's try this again," he said, sighing. "Who here is related to Mister Yuy?" 

Everyone looked at Kami, who looked at Heero. He gave a slight shrug, almost unnoticable. She sighed and got up to follow the doctor into the hallway. They left the door open, and stood in front of it, but from his position, Heero couldn't see the doctor. He swung his legs off the bed. Heero tried to stand up, but his legs wouldn't support him and his knees gave out. The floor came up at him, then stopped. But only because, he realized, Duo had caught him. 

As the braided boy, with the help of Trowa, pulled him back up, Heero's vision clouded over suddenly and he faltered. "Heero?" came a soft voice from behind him. 

He managed to stand and said quietly, "I'm fine, Quatre." The blonde boy looked almost relieved, but Duo was undaunted. 

"No you're not." he said. Heero glared at him, but his knees went out again, and Trowa wrapped his arms tightly around his waist before he could fall again. The unibanged boy and the braided boy helped Heero sit on the edge of the bed, and then backed off slightly. 

"I'm alright." he said after he catching a few breaths. "I just need, I..." He had started to get up again, but his breath was ripped out of his chest, and he staggered forward. Duo grabbed his shoulders and held them straight as the boy forced his ragged breathing back to normal. His eyesight was clouding over again, and he was feeling faint. Why is it so damn hot in here? he thought. He shivered, a tingling feeling running up his spine. Then a wave of nausea hit him and he doubled over, the surrounding blackness welcoming him in. 

"Heero? Heero?! Heero!" came Duo's voice from some where above him. 

"Shaddup." 

"Heero, open your eyes." Sally? What the hell was she doing here? He opened his eyes anyways. Everyone was hovering over him. The hospital... 

"Heero!" Duo said. "You okay, man? We thought, you know..." He trailed off as Heero pushed himself up. The four pilots and major watched him closely as he limped over to the small table next to the hospital bed and began unfolding his tank top, which had been sitting ontop it. 

As he pulled the shirt on, Heero saw Kami still outside the door. She was watching him through the corner of her green eyes. Goddess, I hope she didn't see that... he thought as the green fabric crossed in between them. When he looked again, Kami was facing the doctor again, nodding slightly. 

Heero turned to Duo, who was standing behind him, and said, in a sharp commanding tone, "Ikuzo(Let's go)." 

He pivoted, slowly as not to bring back the nauseous feeling of the world spinning, and began to walk, carefully, paying no heed to the other's comments about getting some rest. Heero had gotten to the edge of the bed when Kami came back in. 

She stood in the doorway, watching him, painfully, trying to stand upright. When she seemed to realize what he was doing, she barked out a word that sounded something like _oku_. He looked at her quisently, and she said, louder, "Ima oku(Lay down now)!" 

For some reason, Duo wasn't surprised when Heero gave an inaudible sigh, made his way back to the side of the bed and got under the hospital-white sheets. 

Kami walked over and told him, "We leave tonight. Be ready at the stroke of twelve," gently in Japanese. He nodded and fell back against the pillows, exhausted. She smiled, said, "Oyasimi nasai(Good night)," and turned to go. She paused, seeing the other five standing there, and sighed. 

"I trust," Kami began softly, "that you understand the amount of faith I have in you now, being left alone with Niichan, is small, but suffient. If you do anything, _anything_, to upset him in any way, shape or form... You'd best make sure I hear nothing of it." With that, Kami left the room, closing the door behind her. 

Duo was the first to break the silence that followed. "Wow, that's one helluva sister you got there, Yuy." 

Heero grunted from the bed, looking out the window. "She's always been abit over-protective," he trailed off, leaving the others confused.   
***   
The grandfather clock struck twelve, and the last of the lights were shut off, leaving the lithe figure in darkness. Quickly but quietly, Kami made her way to room 314. 

The door creaked open and Kami stepped inside. She was going to have to move fast - she had already wasted to much precious time. The first night shift left at exactly twelve, and the second didn't come until half an hour later, but that thirty minutes was all she had. 

The girl tiptoed to the bed, and shook the sleeping boy. "Niichan, wake up. It's time to go." Heero awoke quickly, and sat up slowly. "Shh... it's time to go. Do you have everything?" she asked. He nodded, and swung his legs over the bedside. He paused for a moment; his head had begun to pound, and Kami wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. Then she helped him up and out of the room, carefully closing the door behind them. 

"What about cameras?" Heero breathed in her ear as they slowly made their way down the hall. "Records? Guards? Duo?" 

Kami looked around before answering in a whisper. "Cameras are cut, records deleted, and guards on coffee break. But I don't know about any duos." The darkness hid her small smile. 

Heero stopped. Before he could say anything, though, Kami shook her head and told him "They all left around ten. Even Une. Maybe if you weren't busy snoring, you would have noticed." Once again, Heero was not able to see the playful smirk upon her lips. 

"I," he said proudly, "do not snore. Nor was I asleep." 

"Yeah, sure. Don na ni (Whatever). Do you really want me to believe that you were simply resting your eyes for almost seven hours?" 

"..." Heero's lips, unlike Kami's, were drawn in a thin, tight line. All of a sudden, Kami's arm reached out, blocking his way. 

He was about to remark on it when he heard her voice, close to his ear, say, "Chotto matte(Wait a moment)." 

Then he realized that he had almost turned a corner without watching. Kuso, I'm slacking off. And all because of this stupid illness. I'm the Perfect Soldier, I'm not supposed to get sick... He gave a low growl as he realized no one had told him what he had. 

Kami, who had been looking around the corner, turned to look at him. She smiled. "Flu." she said simply, as if reading his thoughts. Then she added, "And don't worry about it. You used to correct me all the time. Now it's my turn." 

She glanced around once more and, grabbing his elbow, ran quickly down the corridor. After a few minutes, they stopped to let Heero catch a breath. As he stood up from his doubled over position, Kami grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stay down. 

All of a sudden, a small beam of light ran across the wall behind them. They both let out a breath of relief as it disappeared, and stood up. Unfortunantly, the guard was still there. 

When they had thought it safe, they had let down their guards, and now they were going to be caught. "Hey! Hold it right there!" the guard yelled and started towards them. 

"Run!" Kami said and the two teens broke into a sprint. 

"Stop right there! Hey, you two!" the guard ran after them, through out the halls. Heero and Kami could hear him on his radio, calling for back-up. All of a sudden, it was as if a gate had become unlocked and all of the angry bulls were coming out. The third floor of the hospital was flooded with security officers, a late-night doctor, and the night-shift cops. 

Still, Kami and Heero were able to make it to the first floor. They had zig-zagged and circled, and even gone up to the fifth floor to confuse their followers, but now, they were safe. Finally, the two made it to the front lobby. The lights were off, but it seemed as if they were alone, so Kami allowed Heero to catch a breath. 

Suddenly, there was a movement off to the side. Kami leapt forward, pushing Heero out the door, and the two ran as several shots rang out in the darkness.   
***  
A couple of blocks down, in a back alley, Kami slumped against the brick building as Heero squatted on the balls of his feet, facing her. After a few minutes, Kami sighed and lurched to her feet. 

"There's a safehouse nearby," she said walking towards him, "It's only about three blocks east." Heero grunted in reply and also stood. Kami looked at him concerned and managed to feel his forehead before he pulled back. "We don't have to leave at this moment, Niichan," she said quietly. 

"Yes, we do." He replied curtly and nodded off to the side. Kami's brows furrowed and she listened carefully. Sure enough, there was the sound of running feet and barking hounds in the direction Heero had pointed out. 

"Kuso..." she said under her breath, grabbed his arm, and they began a brisk walk away from the pounding of feet against the sidewalk. 

About twenty minutes later, the pair made their way up a driveway. It was slightly longer than most, and led up to a detached two-car garage. A small pathway led up to the front whitewashed door. The two reached the porch and a light flipped on. "I rigged it to do that," Kami whispered. Heero nodded. He was familair with the motion sensing light fixtures. He reached for the doorknob, but Kami tapped him on the shoulder. 

Heero turned to see her smiling and holding out a key. He took it and turned back to the door. "Matte(Wait)." 

"Nani? Naze desu ka(What? Why)?" 

"I left the den light on, not the kitchen." Kami said. She opened the door carefully, and pulled out her gun. Using the barrel to flip the switch, Kami turned on the light. With the light, the two could now see that they were indeed not alone in the house. 

"Duo?!" Heero asked. 

The boy laying across the couch sat up. "Heero! Hey, about time you got here!" he said. Duo got up and leaned into the kitchen. "Hey guys," he called, "They're here!" The sound of dropping dishes, chairs scooting back, and voices met their ears and Duo smiled. He turned back to Kami and Heero, only to find the barrel of a handgun in his face. 

"Nani woiu tennen koko(What the hell are you doing here)?!" Kami asked loudly. Heero dropped into a chair by the door and seemed to fall asleep. 

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" Duo took a step back and put his hands in the air. "Listen," 

"No, I will not. Now, answer my question before I shoot you." Kami said. To make herself even clearer, she cocked the gun and once again aimed it between his eyes. 

"Hey!" A sudden blur of motion flew by, and the gun disappeared from in front of Duo's face. He blinked and saw Kami wrestling on the floor with Wufei. The Chinese boy had knocked the gun away from Kami, and it was now sitting under the window, where Trowa calmly strode and picked it up. 

As the unibanged teen examined it, Wufei and Kami still fought. Somehow, the ex-pilot of Altron had gotten his sword out, and looked like he would begin brandishing it any second. Fortunately for the girl, though, the gun was not the only weapon she had on her. Kami ducked as Wufei's sword whistled above her head, and when she stood back up, a threatening-looking dagger was in her hand. 

Her arm was in front of her face, the palm towards Wufei, and she held the handle upside-down, so the blade of the knife was pressed against her forearm. Its handle was made of sturdy wood, probably oak, and painted glossy black. The blade itself, though, was double-edged; two peaks sharp, and two peaks dull. 

Wufei scoffed. "You think you can beat me with a puny weapon like that, woman?" He leapt for her, and she took one step back. His sword hit the blade of her dagger. With a swift kick, Kami pushed him off her. He stumbled back a few steps, but wasn't harmed. She can't do any real damage, Wufei thought. She's too soft. That's because she's a woman! But I do not hold back my power on those weaker than I. It is her handicap, her problem. Not mine. 

He was about to run her again when Quatre jumped in between them. "Get out off my way, Winner," Wufei growled. 

"Yes. Get out of his way." Kami said with a bit of amusement in her voice. "I want to see how good he really is." 

Wufei threw back his shoulders and prepared to shove Quatre away with that comment. How dare she! How dare she challenge my skills and intellect! "You shall pay for that, woman!" 

"I think not..." Kami growled and the two ran at each other again, only to be stopped once again by the pacifist of the group. 

"You shouldn't be fighting like this!" Quatre said. "We should all get along with each other. Wufei, please, try to hold your temper in the future. And Miss Kami," he turned to look at the girl who was staring elsewhere. "I know this seems odd, coming home to find us here, but you have to understand. You must! We must all get along, or else... Or else, none of us should survive." 

"Yeah," Duo cut in. "That means no pointing guns in each other's faces." 

Quatre smiled at him. "Yes, that's exactly what we mustn't do. As you said before, Miss Kami, the trust between us is small, but suffient. Hopefully, that trust will grow stronger, but for now, what we have will have to do." 

Kami turned and glared at him. "I trust no one," she said simply. But she put her dagger back in her boot, and walked off, leading an unaware Heero upstairs by the arm. 

Quatre sighed. Then he turned to Trowa, who, during all of that, was still standing next to the window, looking at Kami's gun. The eighteen year old looked up. "Specials," he said and held the gun out for them to look. Duo took it from him and flipped it around expertly in his own hands. "The serial number is filed off," Trowa continued, "but if you look close enough, there's a message on the bottom of the handle." 

Duo twirled the gun and looked. "'To op em can to, for successes unknown to anyone else, dir jay'?" 

"What?" Quatre asked. 

"That's what it says." Duo replied and handed the blonde the gun. Quatre looked, and sure enough, on the bottom of the handle, was crudely scratched: '2 OP.M Can2, for successes unknown to anyone else, Dr J'. 

"Doctor Jay? Isn't that..." 

"Yeah. Damn it! I knew we should'a killed 'em when we had the chance!" Duo exclaimed as he punched the wall with his fist. His mouth dropped open and he began jumping up and down, holding his hand. "Ow, ow, ow." 

"That's what you get for hitting steel-plated dry-wall." came a soft voice behind him. Duo turned to see Kami standing at the bottom of the staircase. 

"Steel-plated?!" he asked in a higher voice than his own. Kami smirked and nodded. "Why..." 

Kami sighed and shook her head. "Come on," She led him into the kitchen where she ran cold water on it and gave him an ice pack wrapped in a towel. Then she grabbed an armful of blankets and began spreading them around the house. There were three bedrooms, one already taken by Heero, and perhaps Kami as well, but the office held a bed also, and the couch in the den was fairly large. 

"You can sleep where you like, but I expect you all either to be up and ready for breakfast at seven, or gone by the time I start it." she said. "My laptop and the other computers are plugged in and ready to go if you would want to play around with them. 

"Just remember, all my files are coded, and protected by a series a passwords. If, for some obscure reason, you try to hack into them, the files will automatically be deleted, the computer will shut down, and this safehouse will self-destruct, all in about ten seconds. So, please, unless you would like to explain that one to the officials, don't go through my stuff." 

Trowa raised an eyebrow at the amount of caution she took to protecting her files, but said nothing. "Oh, and, Maxwell," Kami called over her shoulder as she walked back up the stairs, "There's a TV in the den. Just make sure you turn it off before you fall asleep." 

Shinigami grinned and claimed all rights to the office, then ran off. Kami shook her head and continued up the stairs, heading for the bedroom she always slept in when she was there. 

Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei were discussing who slept where when Duo came running back in. "Hey guys, I--" 

"Maxwell," Wufei cut in, "we are in the midst of a conversasion. You will speak when we are finished. And furthermore, we are right here; you needn't yell so loudly--" 

"But Wufei," Duo interrupted, "the TV... " 

"What's wrong, Duo?" Quatre asked. 

The braided boy looked confused for a minute. "Who said something's wrong?" 

"But," Trowa held up his hand, stopping Quatre before he could say any more. 

"What is it, Duo?" he asked. 

"The TV!" he exclaimed. "It's, it's colour! And it's a 32 inch! And it's got almost every channel, but I can't find any wires for illegal hookups, and I don't remember any satelitte dishes when we got here..." 

The four looked at each other, the rambling boy, then each other again. They sighed and sweatdropped in unison.   
***  
Why was there so much light? It's like the desert sun... Quatre rolled over and almost fell off the couch. "Oops..." he mumbled. Now his predictament was even worse. One hand clutched the blanket, which was tightly wound around his legs, his head was three inches from the floor, and Quatre's other hand was on the rug. 

That one hand was all that kept him from falling. But, unfortunately, his position made it almost impossible to get back up. "I should have just fallen," he said. "This is just great." 

"If that's what you call great, I'd hate to see what you consider bad." came a voice from above him. Quatre tried to look up at the person, but couldn't. It didn't matter though, because after a few seconds, two strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and hauled him up. 

Trowa dumped the blond back onto the couch, and stood back, arms folded across his chest as he watched, with some amusement, him try to free himself from the quilt. 

Somehow, Quatre managed to roll off the couch again, and hit the rug-covered floor with a thud, still tangled in the blanket. Trowa's face faltered for a moment as Quatre's eyes turned puppy-faced. Fortunately for Trowa, he managed to regain his emotionless mask and knelt down to help the poor boy. 

When the two came down, Kami was standing at the stove, trying to cook eggs and keep Duo away from them at the same time. 

"Maxwell! For the last time, sit down!" He sat. "On a chair!" Duo got up off the floor and sat on the chair closest to the stove. Kami continued cooking, but would sneak glares towards him every couple of minutes. 

When Wufei appeared, Kami started bringing plates to the kitchen table. Duo, of course, was the last to get his. Breakfast that morning was full of silence; no one said anything, and the birds feeding in the yard were also strangely quiet. 

When breakfast was over, Kami stood and began clearing the table. "Oh, no, no," Quatre said as he stood up, "Let us clear it. You cooked." 

Kami looked at him and took the glass out of his hand. "'Tis my place." She walked over to the sink and dumped the dishes in. A little soap and some hot water went in, and Kami began rolling up her sleeves. When she pulled back her left sleeve, though, she paused, and stared at her wrist, as if almost in horror. 

"Come to think of it," Kami tossed a dishrag at Quatre and pulled her sleeves back down to her wrists. She turned to Trowa. "Your truck is in the back." It wasn't a question - it was a statement. 

Trowa nodded. "It's not running." Kami said. He nodded again. Kami sighed. "Then let's go fix it." She motioned to the back door. Trowa looked at her, then walked outside. Kami followed. 

"It's behind the garage." the boy said. She nodded in reply. They stopped off in the garage to grab a tool box, and then went back behind it. Kami opened the hood to the engine and propped it up. She and Trowa looked at it, but couldn't find anything. Finally, Kami slid under the truck, and fiddled down there for a while. 

While she was looking at the bottom of the truck, Quatre and Duo appeared. Wufei had stayed in the house to help Heero out. "Got it." Kami said and she slid out from under the truck. Quickly, she stood up and brushed herself off. Then she bent over the engine and explained the problem to Trowa, showing him the parts along the way. 

Trowa began fiddling with the parts while Kami looked through the toolbox for a wrench. She found one (it was at the bottom ^^) and leaned over the engine again. "Here, let me get it. I'm taller." Trowa said. 

"No. I got it." Something clanged, the sound echoing through the engine compartment. "Oops..." Kami stood straight, and hit her head on the hood of the truck. She backed up, holding her head, "Norou... I'm alright." She took back the wrench from Quatre, who had picked it up since she had dropped it, and once again began fiddling with the engine. 

"Let me to do that, Kami-san." Trowa said. 

"I can help!" Duo replied. 

"No, I don't think that would be nec--" Kami fell forward, sprawled across the top of the engine. Quatre said her name, concerned, and placed his hand on her back. He gasped and pulled away. His hand was dripping with blood. And looking closely, so was Kami's side. 

Kami stirred. She propped herself up on her elbows, and whispered, "I tried bandaging it last night... guess I didn't do it right..."   
***  
"Yes, yes, look," Duo said in the phone. "I need to speak with Major Sally Po. It's an emergency... Yes, I know... just... no! Listen, just get her on the phone." Duo sighed. Freakin' people just don't listen, he thought. 

Sally's head popped up on the comlink. "Duo? What's wrong? Where are you?" After Duo explained the situation, Sally was staring at him wide-eyed. 

"Are you sure about this? It's that bad?" she asked. 

Duo nodded solemnly, well, as solemnly as Duo can get. "Trowa said it's real bad. He doesn't think he could do it without it getting infected. I dunno... I just don't know..." he sighed. Looking up at the comlink screen again, he said, shaking his head, "There's just somethin' about that girl... it doesn't feel right." 

Sally gave a small smile. "I know what you mean. Listen, I'll leave as soon as I can. Just make sure everything's alright and taken care of before I get there. See you then." 

"Yeah. And thanks." 

"You're welcome, Duo." and Sally's face disappeared from the screen, replaced by a grey fuzzy background. Duo sighed again. Heero ain't gonna be too happy about this, he thought. But then again, is that guy ever happy? 

Duo thought a moment, remembering how much Heero had seemed relaxed with her around. The braided boy's brow furrowed and for a minute, he sat there wondering, but eventually, he shook it off and went to the kitchen to find something to snack on.   
***  
"She should have been here by now!" Duo pounded his fist on the coffee table, causing tea to spill over the sides of the mugs. 

"Calm down, Duo." Quatre said, grabbing a handful of napkins to clean it up. "I'm sure there's a reasonable excuse as to Sally's tardiness. And besides, both Heero and Trowa are with Miss Kami right now. Nothing's going to happen." 

Duo began to state his disapproval, but the sound of sqealing tires drowned his words. The two looked at each other, and ran out the front door. 

Outside, Wufei was upbraiding Sally on her driving habits, even though his were no better, and the latter was standing there taking it. Sally looked patient enough, but they all knew that time was something they did not have much of. Especially if what Lady Une had said was true... 

"Follow me," Quatre said, and led Sally into the house. Wufei glared at him for being interrupted, but when the blond set his lips in a firm, straight line, he sighed and got the Preventers med kit out of the truck. Duo grinned openly and followed the three back into the house. 

Sally took the med kit from Wufei, and followed Quatre up the stairs silently. The other two pilots stayed on the first level. Preventer Water and the blonde Gundam pilot made their way to the front bedroom. Quatre knocked softly on the door twice, paused, then knocked four more times. 

Trowa, a bit raggled and weary, opened the door, and nodded. Then he left towards the bathroom to take a hot shower. Quatre watched him go. He must be tired, staying up all night, he thought. He must also be famished. Quatre sighed and followed Sally in the room. 

It was dark; the blinds were closed and the lights were off. But from the lamp in the hallway, they could just make out the silhouette of Heero's figure, sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from them. He looked up, though, when Quatre placed his hand on his shoulder. 

"She's still unconcious." Heero said in his usual monotous voice. 

Sally nodded. Heero stood up as Quatre left the room, the blond claiming he had better go make sure Duo wasn't getting into any mischief, and closed the door behind him. Sally flipped on a light, and was stunned to see Heero standing there in a pair of black jeans and a dark blue teeshirt. She didn't think he had any clothes save the green tank, the black shorts and the blue jeans. He wasn't even wearing the yellow high topped sneakers. Instead, Heero wore black leather boots. 

Heero cocked his head to the side, but shook it off, and went back to business. "She's been out for around twenty-three hours." 

Sally let out a deep breath. Then she looked over at the bed. The blanket was pulled past the pillow, but she could see a slender hand sticking out above the hem. Gently, Sally pulled the cover off to see Kami laying on her side, her long black hair sprawled across the pillow. It almost looked as if she were sleeping, Sally thought. 

Heero and Trowa had stripped off her turtleneck, showing the large bandage laying across her side. It was already soaked with blood, though most of it was dry. Heero sat calmly on a chair while Sally carefully lifted the gauze pad, half expecting the wound to break open and bleed. Fortunately, it didn't. After a few minutes, the Preventers officer sighed and stepped back. Kami had only stirred once. 

"Gunshot. I'd say .35. Left side, barely missed her bottom rib, right above the hip bone. It went straight through." Heero nodded. He and Trowa had already determined that. The only reason she was there, in fact, was to make sure everything would be alright, since the wound was pretty deep. Sally's brow twitched and she placed the back of her hand to his forehead. He almost pulled back, as both his instincts and training told him to, but he didn't. 

"Heero-kun, you're still hot. Daijoubou desu ka(Are you alright)?" she asked. 

The boy glared at her in reply. "Hai(Yes)." 

"Are you sure? It'll pass by more quickly if you rest." 

"I'm sure. No, I'm staying here, Sally." 

She sighed again, said, "Okay," and opened her medkit. While she was searching for the supplies she'd need, Heero leaned forward, putting his chin on his clapsed hands, his elbows on his knees. 

I'm getting sloppy, Heero thought, If it weren't for this damn headache, I'd be fine... 

Sally had begun cleaning and disinfecting the gunshot wound, which, Heero reckoned, was from the guard at the hospital. Without her deep blue turtleneck, both could see the multiple scars running across Kami's back and arms. Long, short; straight, zigzagged; thin, thick; every one was different, each one had their own story. A few even looked more like permanent bruises than cuts. One specific gash led Heero's eyes to Kami's left shoulder. There, was a small splotch of colour - a tatoo. 

Looking more closely, Heero realized it was a dark green kanji, the green matching Kami's eyes, and the colour of his one tanktop. Hi, that's what it said, fire. Heero realized that she did keep her promise, even after so many years... 

~~~10~years~ago~~~  
Heat...Why was it so hot? The six year old boy crawled out of his bed, a simple, rickety cot, and threw on a shirt over his shorts. It was so hot in that stuffy room, you'd think he'd be used to it by now, but this, this was different. This was... scorching... 

Tentatively, Heero reached out an arm towards the door. His hand closed around the knob, and he jumped back with a yelp, cradling the hand against his chest. The brass doorknob was like a lit coal, and had burned Heero's hand badly. 

The boy walked across the room to the window, still holding his hand gingerly. Opening the window and leaning out of it, he realized it was just as warm outside as it was in. He looked down, and saw the flames jump out of the windows just a few stories below him...   
***  
[Chapter One Finished]  
[Chapter Two Teaser - "Nani? I'm bu-" Heero stopped when he saw what she was looking at. He took the binoculars from her limp hand. "OZ..." he said in his monotonous voice.]   
***  
Special thanks to Chibi_Keeper for pointing out some mistakes in my Japanese grammar. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Connections  
****
****Kaci Kulekowski**   


A/N: This chapter contains non-consensual sex scenes. If you don't like that type of stuff, I'd advise you not read the last parts of the flashbacks, kay? Cool. 

[ChapterFlashback: Sally arrived, and Heero realizes that Kami has kept a promise, even after more than ten years...]   
*** 

~~~Still~ten~years~ago~~~  
Fire... the six-year-old Heero suddenly realized why it was so hot, inside and out. The building was on fire. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hand to open the door. 

The hallway was full of smoke, but there was no one in sight. Covering the lower part of his face with his forearm, Heero ran down the corridor. With all the smoke, twists and turns, doors, and stuff left behind, he almost got lost. But then, he saw the two French doors that led to the library. 

The library was probably the largest room in the building, excluding the mobile suite hanger. Its wooden doors had always been locked when Heero had passed by, and though he knew he could have picked the lock, there was no reason for him to be there. But now, those double doors were open, hanging on their hinges. Heero knew there were large windows on the back wall from the blueprints he had found, hacking into the main computer. He also knew there was a staircase leading out of the building in the library. 

Walking through the collapsing doorway, Heero noticed that the supporting beams were splintering. They'd fall any minute now. He hurried over to the back wall, only to see ceiling-high shelves full of books. The staircase must be behind these, he thought, and he looked around for something that would cause the bookshelves to move. Not seeing anything, Heero seated himself at one of the computers stationed in the library. He hoped the fire hadn't damaged the wiring. The flames were getting closer, making it harder to see and breathe, and making it even more important to find a way out. 

Heero had never been outside this building. All the training, the experimenting, testing, everything was done somewhere in this building that was now burning. Even the mobile suit duels he had with the other perfect-soldiers-in-training happened inside this building. Heero had never even seen a door leading outside. Doctor Jay took care of that, never allowing him to wander the halls. Unfortunately for Doctor J, though, Heero had used his superior hacking skills to get himself into a level six file folder. 

Heero skimmed through the documents looking for the blueprints he had found before. "'OP.M.'" he said under his breath. What could that be? Opening the file, he briefly read through it, his eyes growing wide. Rapidly typing in the copy commands, he saved the file on a floppy disc, before returning to the main index. After finding the floor plans for the building, Heero searched for ways to get in and out of it, but the plans had no doors leading outside, at least, not one that he would want to use. 

The building was several stories tall, brick and metal. There was no way someone could jump off the roof and survive. But he'd have to try it anyway. The fire was still getting closer, and it didn't seem to be letting up. Heero sighed. Taking a moment to memorize the staircases and corridors, he switched off the computer, and grabbed the floppy. Running out of the library, he collided with something. 

Heero leapt up, and realized his enemy was nothing but a five year old girl. She cocked her head to the side, her green eyes large in both awe and confusion. Her black hair was pulled up into two braids that hung in front of her shoulders. 

"Dare da(who are you)?" she asked. 

"Dare da(who are you)?" Heero asked. 

"Nevermind that, come, follow me!" The little girl raced down the halls with the six year old boy following. The two made their way down a flight of stairs and entered a room Heero had never been in before. It resembled his bedroom, if you could call it that, but the bed sheets were messed up as if someone had slept in them. A book lay sprawled across the floor, the pages open and facedown. On the cot was a little stuffed rabbit which was missing an ear. 

"This is my room." the girl whispered. Heero only nodded. If he was right, his room was directly over hers. 

She walked over to the window and opened it. Looking down, she sighed. "Help me with this." she said as she shred one of the bedsheets into strips. Heero took the other and ripped it into strips, too. "Yoshi, yoshi. Matte(Good, Good. Wait)!" the girl said watching him. 

"Nani(What)?" In reply, the girl gently took the sheets from him, and began knotting the ends together. Then she tied one end to the bedpost and threw the rest of the sheets out the window. 

Grabbing the stuffed rabbit, the girl tried climbing out the window. She almost made it, when the ceiling collapsed above the doorway. The crash caused her to lose her grip on the sheets, and she would have fallen out the window, if it hadn't been for Heero. 

He had grabbed her wrist while jumping out of the way of the wood and metal beams. They looked sadly at the doorway, and then turned back to the window. Smoke was making its way through both the open window and the barricaded doorway. All of a sudden, the ceiling above the window broke, and the floor beneath them gave way to the amount of weight that fell on top of it. They jumped onto the bed to get out from under it. 

"Kono matte(Wait here)." the girl whispered gently in his ear, and her hand left his. It was replaced with what Heero thought was the arm of the velveteen rabbit, but he couldn't be sure with all the smoke. 

After a few minutes, the rabbit's arm was replaced with the small hand of the girl, who led him carefully across the debris to the pile of what was the door. Picking their way through it, the two made their way to the hallway, and then broke out into a deadrun down the long corridor. 

"This way." 

"Where are we going?" 

"To a safe place." was the simple answer. She led him to a room which he recognized as the hangar. But they went through a door he had never knew was there. Behind that door was what looked like a bedroom. A bed, not a cot, was up against one wall, and there was a bathroom off to the side. There was no window in this room, but it was lit well with a lamp on the desk in the corner and candles attached to holders on the walls. 

"We'll be safe in here." the girl said. "The walls are re-in-forced with titanium alloy. That's the same stuff Doctor Jay uses on the mobile suites." She closed the door, and a loud click sounded. 

"I know that. How do you know Doctor Jay?" Heero asked suspiciously. 

"He's my daddy. Not my real one though. My real daddy died." The girl sat on the bed, still clutching the rabbit. "Momma's gone, too." She looked at him. "What about you?" 

"Boku(Me)?" Heero asked surprised. 

The girl laughed. "Hai, anata(Yes, you)." 

"I don't know. I mean, of course I have parents, but I don't know what happened to them." 

"Oh. That's sad. Are you Doctor Jay's other student?" 

"Hai (Yes). I guess." There was silence as the two thought. All of a sudden, the girl jumped off the bed and up into Heero's face. 

"I'm Two-Three-Three-Eight-Four-Six, but you can call me Kami. This," she held up the stuffed toy, "is Cabbi. That's short for 'cabbit', which is both bunny and kitty." 

"One-Three-Three-Eight-Four-Seven." the boy said. "I don't have any other name." 

"Really? Oh, that's too bad. Could I call you Oniichan(Big brother), then?" She looked hopeful. 

"Naze (Why)?" 

"Well, you are older than me, right?" he nodded, "And, well, I used to have a brother, but, he might be dead. No one here tells me anything..." she looked at the ground. 

"Ookeey(Okay)." Heero said after a moment. 

Kami smiled sadly at him. "Really? Thanks..." Another akward moment of silence. "Come on, we have to get you fixed up." Kami said, as she grabbed Heero's arm and gently pulled him to the bathroom, where he sat on the closed lid of the toilet. 

As the girl wet a washcloth in the sink, with the rabbit, Cabbi, sitting in his lap, Heero realized he had soot and blood all over. The entire building had probably already burnt to the ground. The hangar was probably spared since it was under ground, but, what of Doctor Jay and the other scientists? Had they gotten out safely? Heero was torn apart. He was sort of happy that there was a fire, he was free for the time being. No nosy sciencists, no pushy doctors, he didn't have to follow every little rule now, because they weren't here to repremand him for it. 

But, he was also a bit scared. This building was the only place he had ever lived in. Doctor Jay was probably the closest he had to a father figure. This perfect-soldier-in-training life was all he knew... Now he didn't have a purpose, a meaning. A soldier without those was useless, best left for dead. 

"Daijoubou desu ka(Are you alright)?" 

"Nani(What)?" Her voice had pulled him out of his thoughts. 

"I asked if you were feeling okay, silly. You don't look so good..." 

"I'm alright. I was just thinking." 

Kami smiled. "It's okay, Niichan. We were the last people in the building." She gently wiped his forehead with the washcloth, which came back covered in soot. "Does it hurt, Niichan?" 

"Iie (No)." he lied. 

"Ookeey. Yoshi sono (Okay. That's good)." 

Finished, the two left the bathroom and sat on the bed. It was comfortable, not like their cots. The quilt was nice, too, thick and warm, with a pattern that Heero realized as the Milky Way. 

"Come on, silly, I'm tired." she yawned for emphasis. The two crawled under the heavy quilt. It was soft, not like the scratchy wool blankets they were used to. 

Kami hugged Cabbi and curled into a ball. "Oyasimi nasai, Niichan (Good night)." 

"Oyasimi nasai, i...imoto (Good night, little sister)." Kami smiled. 

"Arigatou (Thank you)..." she said softly. Heero smiled a little, too. He liked the sound of the word on his tongue. 

After a few moments, all that was heard was deep breathing, but Heero broke the silence. "Do you think the fire's stopped?" 

"Hai, naze (Yes, why)?" 

"No reason." More silence. 

"No, Niichan. No, it hasn't stopped." 

"What do you mean?" Heero rolled over to face her. 

"The fire will never burn out, Niichan, as long as we remember... As long as we remember this, Niichan, it will never fade..." Heero realized she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.   
~~~End~flashback~~~  


People, Heero thought, still watching Sally tend to Kami. Are we really people? Perfect soldiers, trained for combat. Trained to kill, to carry out our missions and nothing more. Can we truly be considered true people when we have no emotions? No, we can't can we? Then why, why did she say we were the last people in the building? Grant, she was five at the time, but, we were educated enough to understand the concept of living and existing. 

Heero sighed. Sally turned slightly to look at him. She smiled and stood up. 

"Everything's fine, Heero-kun. She might be sore for a while, but she'll be fine." 

Heero grunted in reply. Sally smiled again, gathered her stuff and walked towards the door to leave. "Arigatou, Sally-san (Thank you)." he said unconsciously. 

"Dou ita shima shite (Think nothing of it)." 

Sally left and went downstairs. Heero closed the door behind her and looked at Kami. She was still in the same position she was before. Heero sighed and crawled into the bed, pulling up the covers up to their chins. Smiling, Heero turned out the light. 

"As long as we remember, it won't fade..." he whispered and closed his eyes.   
***  
It had been two days since Sally left. Kami had been unconsious for about three and a half days. Duo had already watched every movie in the house at least twice, and was itching to do something. Quatre had almost had a heart attack when he realized what a mess they had made and began cleaning the house. He was trying to keep Duo occupied with helping. Trowa was in the back, behind the garage, fixing his truck. Heero hadn't been seen since Kami collasped. 

"Come on, Kat," Duo begged, "Let's go do something." 

Undaunted, the blond continued his cleaning. "I _am_ doing something. It's our responsibilty to keep house, especially since Miss Kami is injured and even more so because we made the mess." 

"But, Quatre..." 

"No buts, Duo. Now, either stay out of my way, or come help." 

Duo sighed and picked up the feather duster. He looked at it, looked at Quatre, who was busy humming as he swept the kitchen floor, and looked back at the feather duster. "'Kay. See ya!" Duo dropped the feather duster on the table and ran outside. Wufei should be out there somewhere, Duo thought.   
***  
Heero came down the stairs to find Kami standing in the kitchen. She was putting away the dishes Wufei had washed and dried, and listening to music at the same time. Heero listened for a moment to the song playing. 

_'So if you think your life is... complete confusion... 'cause your neighbor has it made... just remember that... it's a grand illusion... deep inside we're all the same... all the same...'_

Kami was swaying slightly, silent, as she crossed the kitchen slowly; her side was still sore. 

Picking up a cup full of water out of the strainer, Heero smirked, saying her name. Kami turned around and the boy threw the water at her. 

"Jigoku nani (What the hell)?!" she yelled. 

Heero smiled. "I was helping." 

"I'll show you helping!" Kami said and she began to chase him. 

Outside, Trowa was trying not to whack Duo upside the head with the wrench as the latter babbled and the former tried to fix the truck. 

All of a sudden, Heero and Kami came running past. "Anata o korosu! Anata o korosu! Yamero (I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Stop)!" 

"Iiiiieeee!!! Yamero anata!! I was joking!! Yamero (No!!! You stop!! Stop)!!" 

Trowa and Duo watched the two run off. "Was... Did... I," For once, Duo was speechless. Trowa smirked and turned back to his truck.   
***  
Quatre came running outside the house when he heard what sounded like Heero screaming bloody murder. As he stood there in the back door, two bodies ran past him. Frowning, Quatre watched Heero and Kami chase each other. Kami's long black hair flew behind her. She was fast, especially considering that she was chasing Heero, and considering her injury. 

And Quatre laughed. For some reason, he laughed. And couldn't stop. Even when Wufei came out of the garage and began yelling at all three of them for 'making so much racket', Quatre couldn't stop laughing. 

Kami stopped dead in her tracks to turn and glare at him. Geez, Quatre thought as he stopped laughing, she's got a death glare like Heero's. Only, he wondered, which is worse? 

Heero paused as he realized Kami wasn't behind him. After catching his breath, he began walking back to where Kami and Quatre stood staring at each other. Clearing his throat, Heero stepped up behind Kami. She whirled around and yelled, "Baka! (Idiot)" before they resumed their chase. 

Meanwhile, Quatre, left alone on the back stoop, sighed happily. At least he's not self-descructing, he thought, Kami too. The first time they met her, she was so reserved, but now, Quatre smiled. The two seemed happy with each other. They seemed... human... Quatre went back inside, the voices of Kami and Heero still ringing in his ears.   
***  
Kami looked up. The helicopter came closer and closer. She could tell it belonged to OZ, but, OZ wasn't anymore. It went down when Colonel Trieze was killed. The helicopter grew nearer still. It was so close, she could see the pilot's face. Drewmaud... No... Not Drewmaud... please, no... Kami thought. The sandy haired pilot grinned and all of a sudden, the OZ helicopter dropped it's bombs. The ground around her exploded as Kami just stood there. 

Please, please, just let me die... just let me die... she thought silently. "You're not going to get me, Drewmaud. I'll kill myself before you can get to me!!" she yelled out. Through the smoke, she could still see the ear-to-ear grin on the helicopter pilot's face. "You hear? I'll kill myself before I ever see you again, Drewmaud!" 

The pilot didn't answer. Instead, the earth around the girl caught afire, the flames surrounding her. "I'll kill you, too, Drewmaud!" she yelled as the flames whipped haphazerdously close to her. "I'll kill you, too!" 

"Imoto? Imoto, okosu ue ni. Okosu ue ni (Little sister? Little sister, wake up. Wake up)!" 

Kami sat up. "Niichan..." 

Heero looked at her. They were both leaning up against a tree trunk, having been tired from their race. Heero had been sleeping, like Kami, but he had woken up when she had started yelling. Drewmaud? he thought. Oh no... 

Kami shifted her weight around so she was leaning on Heero's shoulder. "He's alive, Niichan," she whispered. "Drewmaud's alive..." 

"Shh... I know..." Heero put an arm around her shoulders as she buried her face in his shirt. 

"He's coming, Niichan. He'll get me... Douzo... douzo... (Please... please) Don't let him get me..." 

"Shimpai suru no ga nai (Don't worry)... He won't... I won't let him..."   
***  
Kami opened the door quietly, the hinges sqeaking ever so slightly. The lights were off, but the blinds on the two windows were open, so Kami could see the sleeping form in the bed. 

As usual, Heero was facing the door, but had the sheet pulled up to his chin. He had to indulge himself in some luxuries of life. Kami smirked, and went in, closing the door behind her. 

He had slept in her bed again, but she didn't mind much. It gave her an excuse to sleep in the guest room, where Wufei was sleeping at the moment, since there were two beds in it. She liked sleeping there because it had a slightly musky smell. Not like this one, which was rose and lavendar scented. Kami didn't like the 'femimine' fragrances much. 

Kami watched Heero turn on his back and push the sheet away. He didn't usually move in his sleep, which resulted in stiff muscles in the morning that he had learned to ignore, but she had to remember that he was still sick. And all that running around outside the day before hadn't exactly helped. 

Kami crept up to the bed silently, and then jumped onto the bed shouting, "Ohayo (Good morning)!" 

"Jigoku (the hell)?!" Heero sat up. Something fell onto his head and then in his lap before he could catch it. 'It' was a stuffed rabbit, a light brown colour with white on its belly and inside its ears. He looked up at Kami quisently. She smiled. 

"Some-bunny loves you." she said in a singsong voice. "Come on, Duo made breakfast." 

Heero shook his head sadly and tossed the rabbit on the desk as he got out of the bed.   
***  
"Come on, Niichan! Iku (Let's go)!" 

"Alright." Kami stood impatiently outside the garage as Heero gathered his stuff. She looked up, sheilding her eyes from the sun's glare. Sally and Colonel Une had called the day before, saying they had to come over. Quatre told her that while she was still unconscience, Colonel Une had said, through a note Sally gave them, that the Preventers had found out that some former OZ soldiers were getting ready to retaliate against the ESUN's forces, which had managed to keep the peace amoung the colonies as well as on Earth. 

Secretly, Kami hoped that the Preventers were wrong. That would cause another war to break out. And because the Gundams had been destroyed, there wouldn't be a way to stop it, not like before. Everything could be destroyed before anything was ever really solved. Just like what Trieze's daughter Mariemaia had said last year, in 196, 'History is like an endless waltz. The triple measure of war, peace, and revolution goes on and on...' 

There was another reason, too, but this one, Kami kept to herself. Sure, Heero knew, but only because he was there when the problem started. That problem was Drewmaud. Kami didn't think she could survive another day under Drewmaud's hands. True, Heero had Doctor Jay to worry about then, but she had both. Drewmaud didn't care about Heero. She could remember the blood flowing out of the gash across Heero's forearm from Drewmaud's knife when he tried to kill him that one time. Drewmaud didn't like people who interfered, only those who would submit. Like her. But this time, Kami assured herself, this time, she wouldn't be the submissive one. She would be the one to come out on top. 

"Imoto (Little sister), help me with this." Heero called from inside the garage. Kami went to help. Chuckling, she untangled the wiring from Heero's legs and took a box from him before he dropped them all. 

"What exactly are you looking for?" she asked as they set the boxes on the kitchen table. 

"Hn..." was her only answer. Then, "There's more in the garage." Kami sighed and followed him back. Again, she stood impatiently outside the door. Kami looked up at the sky again. A couple of clouds, the treetops, a plane. A plane... Kami grabbed a set of binoculars out of the garage. 

"Niichan! Niichan!" she poked him continuously, still staring at the sky. 

"Nani (What)? I'm bu--" Heero stopped when he saw what she was looking at. He took the binoculars from her limp hand. "OZ..." he said in his monotonous, emotionless voice. 

"Let's go! Now!" Kami grabbed his wrist and ran towards the house as the OZ plane came closer. Trowa was standing in the kitchen watching them. "Get in the basement! Hurry!" Kami yelled at him. He looked up to see the plane and nodded, then ran off into the house to find the other three pilots. 

Heero and Kami had almost made it when the ground erupted around them. The noise from the bombs, the missiles, the shreiking of metal against metal was deafening. Kami and Heero threw each other to the ground as the garage burst into flames. 

The ground was littered with pieces of metal and burning chunks of wood falling from the sky as the plane continued on its course, still firing. A large sheet of metal came down hard onto Heero's legs, pinning him down. Kami had hit the ground too hard and was already passed out when the darkness drew him in.   
***  
When Kami awoke, her head was pounding. She was on her stomach, and her wrist felt like it had snapped backwards. Looking at it, she knew that was probably what had happened. Slowly, Kami sat up, her ribs were bruised and she had blood running down her side. Her injury from before had reopened and probably worsened. 

Heero was laying face down beside her. His lower back and legs were covered with a piece of sheet metal. Kami managed to crawl over to him, and after making sure he was alive, moved the metal sheet. He seemed okay, until she rolled him over on his back. There was a gash on his forehead, his shoulder had been scraped raw. 

"Miss Kami?" She looked up to see the other four ex-Gundam pilots. "Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" She blinked. Her vision was blurring, telling her she probably had a concussion. But she could tell the question was from the blond one. The one with the sandy coloured hair... 

"I'm fine..." Quatre reached out a hand to help her up, but was rewarded with a gun barrel thrust into his face. "Don't touch me." 

"But..." 

"I said, don't touch me!" Wufei stepped forward, but she glared at him through the corner of her eye. Trowa and Duo were behind her, making sure Heero was alright. 

"Miss Kami, please," Quatre said gently, his hand still outstretched. 

"Don't! Get away from me, Drewmaud!" 

"Drewmaud?" Quatre was confused. 

"I said I'd kill you, and I will." Kami continued, her hand wavering. Wufei noticed how her other wrist looked bent. 

"But..." Wufei motioned Quatre to stay quiet. The girl was most likely delirious. 

Trowa looked over and saw the gun Kami was pointing at Quatre. 

Just as she tightened her finger on the trigger, Trowa pulled her arm up, causing her to shoot the sky. "No! No, no, no..." Kami struggled against Trowa's grip as Wufei pulled the gun out of her hand and Quatre went to find some sedatives. 

When Kami's body finally went limp, Trowa laid her on the ground, making sure she was alright. "What are we going to do, Barton?" Wufei asked. "We can't have her going around trying to kill us." 

"Hn..." Trowa looked thoughtful for a moment before asking Wufei, "What did she call Quatre? I missed it." 

The Chinese pilot looked surprised, but answered him anyways. "Drewmaud... why?" 

"I don't think Kami was trying to kill us." Trowa didn't get to explain when Duo cut in. 

"Hey, um, guys? I think we should stop worrying about Kami for now." 

"Why, Maxwell?" Wufei asked. 

"'Cause she's not the one who's stopped breathing." The braided boy waved to the former pilot of Wing Zero. "Heero is."   
***  
"Sally, Une," Quatre acknowledged the two Preventers officers. They in turn nodded curtly. 

"Where is everyone?" Sally asked as the blond pilot showed them to the kitchen. 

"Well, Duo's with Heero, who stopped breathing again earlier. Wufei is in the office on the computers doing more research. Trowa was injured as well, but not as badly. He's in the guestroom." 

"No, I'm not." Quatre looked up to see Trowa standing in the doorway. He put down the coffee pot and brought Sally and Une their mugs. 

Une watched him as he sat down stiffly next to her. "What are the extent of your injuries?" 

"Minor." he replied. "Just a few scratches, and a surface-gash. Nothing to worry about. I've had worse." 

Une nodded. "And the others?" 

"Duo and I are fine," Quatre spoke up. "I think Wufei's just a little exhausted. Unfortunately, Heero and Kami were outside when the plane came..." he trailed off, staring into his coffee cup. 

"Neither have regained consciousness." Trowa began explaining the situation to them. "Heero's stopped breathing twice now. He thrashes around, he's broken a lamp from it. I think he's hallucinating, but he never says a word. As for Kami, well, she's pretty much fine with the exception of her wrist. It bent backwards and broke." 

"And her... delusion..." Quatre mumbled. Une and Sally looked at him. "She thought I was someone else and pulled a gun on me before she passed out." 

Trowa suddenly got up and walked out the room. The three people were left sitting in the kitchen looking at the doorway until he came back a few minutes later. He tossed Sally what looked like a pillow case. She looked at him questioningly, and unfolded it. 

Inside laid Kami's handgun. Cautiously, she lifted it, careful not to let the pads of her fingers touch the surface. "Specials." 

"Look at the bottom." 

Sally did. "Two op can two for successes unknown two anyone else dir jay?" 

"What?" Lady Une asked. The golden haired Preventer handed the gun to her boss. "Hmm... This is Kanashimii's, am I right?" 

"Yes. That's correct," Quarte said. "But, Trowa, you never gave it back to her after the first night." 

"I put it on her desk when she collasped." 

"Oh." 

The four of them continued to discuss the problem with OZ and the injured pilots.   
***   
Heero sighed in his sleep as Duo watched over him protectively. He was worried almost to the brink of breakdown. This had never happened before. Grant it, there was the time Heero had self-descructed and was missing for almost two months, but, somehow, this was different. 

Duo curled his legs under himself as he leaned back in the wooden chair. He hadn't slept all night. He didn't have anything to eat or drink since breakfast the day before. Duo closed his eyes. Quatre should be coming up any minute to check on them. He couldn't fall asleep until then, he wouldn't let himself for Heero's sake. He couldn't... 

The former pilot of Zero stirred as the God of Death fell asleep. Heero rolled over, clutching the sheet as his past came back to haunt him. 

~~~Flashback~~~  
-KNOCK- -KNOCK- 

Six year old Heero jumped up off the bed. Kami looked up from her little corner. It had been almost a week since the fire, and even though the two had learned to live with each other, they both prefered to be alone. Kami had claimed the corner furthest away from the door, where she sat and played with her rabbit most of the day. 

The five year old girl got up and stood next to the door. "Dare desu ka (Who is it)?" 

Heero came over and stood next to her as the voice from the other side answered her question. "It's Lisantho. Open up." 

"Dare desu ka (Who are you)?" Kami asked again, not knowing who it was. 

The person sighed. "Drewmaud Lisantho. Number 818937. Assistant to Doctor Jay." 

The two children looked at each other. If he knew Doctor Jay, it must be alright. Slowly, Kami and Heero opened the door. A blond teen stood there, in the colour coded uniform that all the assistants wore. It was dark blue, signifying that he had level five security access. Level 6 was the highest. 

Five year old Kami stood there in the doorway gripping her stuffed rabbit, Cabbi, and stared up at the man. Six year old Heero glared at him, an emotionless mask slipping over his face. Drewmaud stared at the two. These were the survivors? These children? These were the ones Doctor Jay wanted to become the 'perfect soldiers'? 

An old, crinkled face appeared over Drewmaud's shoulder. Kami broke into a grin, and ran up to the man, hugging his knees, since she was so short. Doctor Jay smiled down at the girl, his artificial eyes focusing on her. Looking up at Heero, he concluded that they were fine, save the burn on the boy's hand. A little hungry maybe, but nothing a good meal could fix. 

"Ikuzo (Let's go)." Doctor Jay said and pried Kami off gently. He walked away, his long white labcoat flowing behind him. Kami followed him obediently, with Heero on her heels and Drewmaud bringing up the rear. 

When the four of them reached the room that had once been part of the building and now had drywall walls, they stepped inside. Only one lamp in the middle of the table placed in the center of the room gave it its light. Papers, pencils and other stuff strewn around. The room wasn't messy, it was just cluttered. A couple of other people were there, sitting in hard backed wooden and metal folding chairs placed in what looked like no particular order. One stood as the four newcomers came in. 

"Doctor," he said. 

"General," the scientist replied with a nod of his head. Doctor J turned to the small troop behind him. "233846, 133847, 818937," he gestured to them, "this is General Hawthorne," he waved to the tall, dark, man in the Army uniform, then turned to the rest of the group, pointing each one out. He then proceded to say each of their names and ended with "These are my students." 

Some of the scientists had been really nice and smiled, but now they stood up in an outrage. Shouts rang out through the room. "What are you thinking?" "The hell..." "They're kids!" "You senile old fool!" 

"I may be old, and I may be senile, but I do not fill my head with foolish ideals of peace that will never happen unless these three become the way to peace. Unlike the rest of you." Doctor Jay said. 

"So what are you going to do? Train them?" One of the men asked. 

"Precisly." Doctor Jay answered. "They've all already had some training, we just need to... perfect... their... abilities..." Kami looked back at Heero. He seemed almost happy. I have another purpose, he thought. The girl glanced at Drewmaud. He was cocky, with a cat-caught-the-bird look in his eyes. Kami turned back to see the general kneeling in front of her. Cocking her head to the side, she stared straight into the black orbs he had for eyes. 

"Is there something you want?" she asked. 

Hawthorne laughed. "You're going to train a girl? Let alone such a proper one?" he asked Doctor Jay as he laughed harder. Kami stood there, very still, with her hands behind her back. He was laughing at her. She didn't like the tone of his haughty voice, either, as he talked to her in baby as if she didn't understand English or Japanese. "Well, such a pretty little girlie..." he cooed. "How old are you know?" 

"Go-nen (Five years). Anata (You)?" she replied quietly. 

The general chuckled. "Let's just say I'm old enough to be your father." 

"My father's dead. You're not my father." Kami said. 

"Well, yes..." he looked up at Doctor Jay, who was standing there watching. "So... how do you like training with him?" he asked, jerking his head towards the old man. 

"Fine." she said curtly. He was annoying her and she just wanted to leave. 

General Hawthorne smiled, nodding his head. He started playing with her hair, which she had managed to put into two pigtails again, with Heero's help. "So would you want to continue? Hmm...?" 

Five year old Kami glared at him and jerked back, away from from his grasp. "What's it matter to you?" He smiled again and urged her for the answer, reaching out again to touch her black hair. "Yamero (Stop)! Yamero ima (Stop it now)!" 

"Answer the question." 

"Hai (yes)." 

"Good." The Army general stood and left the room. Satisfied, the other scientists left Doctor Jay and his fantasies alone. Soon, only he, Kami, Heero and Drewmaud remained. The professor fed them and told them to get some sleep, they had a big day tomarrow. Would they ever... 

The next morning, the three of them awoke to see Doctor Jay standing over them. "Let's get to work, people." he said as he tossed them each a pile of clothes. A few minutes later, they met up with each other in another left-standing-room of the building, each wearing their uniforms. Drewmaud's of course was dark blue, but with red stripes meaning he was still in training. 

Kami's was a sea-foam green that clashed hideously with her emerald eyes. Heero had a hunter green, due to the fact that he had had some training, which was more than what she could say. The girl's hair was once again in two pigtails, though this time, they were braided, like before. 

They began on the basics, how to hide their emotions and fight. Drewmaud was much better than the five and six year olds, so he obviously excelled more than they did. After two years, he recieved his level six clearance. At seven and eight, Kami and Heero had already mastered hand-to-hand combat, hacking, and putting on their emotionless masks in a split second. Today, they were learning how to manuveur mobile suits. 

"I can't..." Kami pulled on the stick as hard as she could. Drewmaud let loose a barage of missiles that flew around the newly built hangar. Heero intercepted them with his own. Kami still couldn't pull the lever to move the suit around and got mad. She began cussing in a mix of Japanese, English, and some other language they didn't know she knew. She hit a series of keys and both Heero and Drewmaud's suits were hit repeatedly until her ammunition ran out. 

"Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" Kami asked, barely above a whisper. 

"Hai (Yes)." Heero answered. 

"I'm alright, Aka-chan (Little baby)." Drewmaud said. Kami glared at him over the comlink. They all knew she was talking to Heero, and he had the nerve to call her that. 

Kami leaned up against the lever, her suit walking over to the twenty-year-old blond's. She stepped right in front of his, facing each other. Kami pulled another, smaller lever and her suit's arm went back, then slapped Drewmaud's suit. The other arm was coming up when Drewmaud saw it and grabbed it with his suit's arm. Kami grunted and hit another barage of buttons, and the cockpit opened. She jumped out and ran as far as she could get, Heero following her example. They got to the other side of the hangar when Kami's suit self-destructed. Both suits were annihilated and the one Heero had piloted was damaged just beyond repair. 

"Bakayaro (Jerk)," Kami said under her breath as she watched the suits sink to their broken knees. 

"Why, thank you, Aka (Baby)." came a voice from behind her. 

"I should've known you would've gotten out alive, Drewmaud." Kami said, not turning around. 

"You misjudge me critically, girl, and one of these days, you're going to get killed because of it." Drewmaud said smirking. "Won't that be a pity, having such a pretty girl like you dying at the hands of me?" 

"Watashi hitonomi (Bite me)." Kami said. 

"Well, if you put it that way," Drewmaud stepped towards her. But just then, Doctor Jay came in. 

He didn't say anything, but they all knew what he wanted. The three filed past him, heads down, silent, and went to get into another suit. These were the fourth suits each they had piloted this week, each time, damaging them all beyond repair. 

Drewmaud shot the first round - he was never patient enough to wait for the other to attack. Heero managed to dodge it, as did Kami, though she she still had trouble with the movement levers. 

The three of them managed to keep everything just about even for several hours. Then Kami just got tired and let the boys shoot at her. She was better at hand-to-hand anyway. So it was down to Drewmaud and Heero. Both having about the same amount of experience, strength, and technical skills. But they were both tired and worn out from all the fighting before. Their fight continued on far into the evening, and then was postponed for dinner. 

The next day and everytime after it, Heero and Drewmaud's fights always ended up in a draw. Eventually, Kami had gotten strong enough to make it throughout most of the fights, but always gave up near the end. By the time Kami was ten, she had managed to survive most of the fights, and even beat the two guys a few times, though she was still a much better fighter in martial arts. So while Heero and Drewmaud were duking it out in the hangar, she was busy training with a martial artist. The guys trained in fencing, too, but Kami almost always beat them. 

It had been six years now, since the fire. Kami was eleven, Heero, twelve, and Drewmaud was twenty-one. The girl's black hair reached her waist, and though it was no longer put into pigtails, she still braided it everyday. She had grown taller than Heero, who made up for it in muscle. Drewmaud however, had exceeded them both, and having passed the final exam, which of course was a mission, he no longer studied under Doctor Jay, but taught with him. The younger man had always taken to the girl, and because Doctor Jay had raised Heero longer than he had Kami, Drewmaud trained the girl. This was not for long, however. 

Kami woke up as the sun shone from her window, through the blinds. Turning over, her braid landed on Heero's face, who jumped up and almost had his gun aimed on her when she mumbled, "Goshin pai naku (Don't worry)... Watashi sore o kan (It's just me)..." 

Because Doctor Jay and his associates had taken in so many new recruites, they were short of beds and rooms, so of course, the younger and less-trained soldiers-to-be had to share. Kami was the only female in training, there was only a commander and a nurse who were also female, so she was forced to share with a guy. By chance, she ended up with Heero. 

"Come on, we gotta go." Heero said, heading for the showers. 

"You'd think that by now, you'd be able to speak proper English." Kami grumbled, but she got up anyway. 

"Don na ni (Whatever)." he replied. 

They arrived in the conference room twenty minutes later. "You're late." Doctor Jay barked out. He and Drewmaud led them to a room in a wing the two had never been in. The room was small, containing only two twin-sized beds, a lamp and a deep blue rug. "This is where you two shall report to daily for the next six months. It will be our training grounds for that period of time." 

Nodding, though confused, Kami and Heero stood waiting for their instructions. "Eventually, there will come a time when you cannot gain the information needed to complete your mission by hacking, destroying, or infiltrating. You will be forced to gain it through... relationships... with a ranking person. Today, you will learn how these relationships work." Doctor Jay said. 

Drewmaud grinned chesirely and motioned for Kami to follow him to the second bed as Heero and Doctor Jay stayed at the first one. On her way across the room, the girl noticed dark spots of dried blood on the rug. It was when Drewmaud reached for her that she became afraid. With one hand, he unbuttoned her blouse, taking off his own shirt with the other. Eyes growing wide, Kami stepped back, swatting his hand away when she realized what he was doing. 

Heero, too, realized what they were being forced to go through, and took a step forward. Doctor Jay glared at him through his mechanical lenses. The dark haired boy paused. Glancing at the girl, he sighed. She could take care of herself, he hoped. 

Drewmaud growled and rushed at her, she pivoted, and he went past her a bit. Turning, he said, "You have no choice, 233846. Submit and I'll be gentle..." 

"Kesshite (never)..." Kami growled. The twisted grin on Drewmaud's face turned into a malicious snarl and he grabbed her arm. The twenty-one year old blond threw her against the wall. Flinching, Heero stood and watched helplessly. Kami stared at the wooden floor as Drewmaud continued the lesson. 

After a few agonizing minutes, Doctor Jay turned to Heero. The boy sighed and took off his shirt. Crawling into the bed, Heero met Kami's eyes, holding them for a moment. Then she broke his gaze to look up at the ceiling as Drewmaud buried his face in her neck. He had her wrists up over her head, against the wall, as he carried on with his kissing. 

Heero turned back to Doctor Jay who was now on top of him, pulling the sheets up. Kami's emerald eyes had held nothing. They had seemed empty, void, like she didn't care anymore. Heero wondered if his Prussian blue ones were the same. And if they would stay that way...   
***  
[Chapter Two Finished]  
[Chapter Three Teaser - They had threatened to kill her, the commanding officers. She knew that one day, the threats would become real, but she never thought it so soon. ]  
***  
Please note, that like GW, I do not own Styx nor their song Grand Illusion. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Connections  
****
****Kaci Kulekowski**   


[ChapterFlashback: We learn more about Heero's past and why Drewmaud deserves to die...]   
*** 

"So, do you think we should..." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

Une looked between Duo and Quatre. "If," Quatre said, "Kami didn't want Heero at the hospital, why should we bring them both there?" 

"But," Trowa interuppted the braided boy. 

"He's right. We would only succeed in having them injured more if they were to try and escape." 

"And besides," Sally cut in, "There are other people who are just as badly injured from the attack." 

Duo slammed his coffee mug down on the table, once again spilling it. "But if we don't take them, they could get worse, or even die!" 

Wufei agreed half-heartily as he wearily walked into the kitchen. Plopping himself heavily into a chair, he dropped his head on the table with a loud thud. "Itai (Ow)..." he moaned. 

"Well that's what you get if you do that hard enough," Sally said, smiling. 

"Woman, do not make me get up. I am not in the mood right now." 

"What ever you say, Wuffers." Duo said, mimicking Sally's voice. 

The Chinese boy's head snapped up and he growled. "Don't. You. Ever. Call. Me. That. Again. Do. You. Understand?" he asked through clenched teeth. 

Duo gave a crooked smile. "Of course I understand, Wu-man. That just doesn't neccessarily mean I won't do it." 

Wufei lunged across the table and almost had his hands around Deathscythe's pilot's throat when Trowa and Quatre grabbed him. 

"Wufei," Sally said, pointing to the guest room. "Go on, the last thing we need is tension between ourselves." Wufei glared one last time, then wriggled his way out of Quatre and Trowa's arms. "And get some rest while you're at it," Sally added as he went up the stairs. 

Then she turned to Duo. "I think you'd better go check on Heero..." He nodded quickly and ran off.   
***  
"She's waking up." Quatre said. "Quick! Go get Miss Sally." 

Trowa nodded and left the room, leaving the blond pilot with Kami. The girl tossed her head to the side, facing the door and let out a small moan. 

Quatre hoped she wouldn't start her delusions again as he dipped the rag in the bowl of ice water and wrung it out, placing it gently on her forehead. She was burning hot for some reason, and it was all he could do for the moment. He still didn't know how he would respond if it happened again. True, Trowa had taken her gun away again, and hid it in a safe spot, but Quatre was still worried. Kami had trained with Heero, was raised by and with soldiers. She wouldn't need a gun to kill someone, or at least seriously injure them. 

Kami jerked her head again, and the washcloth fell off. Before Quatre could put back, shouts rang out in the hall. 

"Sally! Sally!" 

"Quick! Hurry!" 

Quatre glanced at the girl, then rushed out of the room to find Trowa grappling Duo, who was trying to get into Heero's room. 

"You can't go in there, Duo!" Trowa said as he pried the braided pilot's fingers away from the doorframe. 

"But Heero!" He was on the verge of hysteria. 

Quatre winced and went to help the tall Latin boy with Duo. "It happened again, didn't it?" he asked softly as Duo finally stopped struggling and fell limply to the floor, sobbing. 

Trowa nodded gravely, his eyes narrow, and knelt on the floor next to Duo. Quatre quietly closed the door leading to Heero's room as Sally and Une tried to get him to breathe again and joined the other two pilots on the floor. He began rubbing Duo's back in small circles, hoping it would calm him down enough so he would be able to make it down the hall to the office, where he had been sleeping the past couple of days. 

Quatre suppressed the urge to clutch at his heart, which had begun aching once again as soon as he had heard the shouts. He had to be strong now, for everyone.   
***  
Kami tossed and turned, trying to escape the pain that had begun so suddenly. She woke up with a start and sat up quickly. Evidently, it was too quickly and she fell back onto the bed, clutching her head with her good hand. The other wrist was wrapped up in a splint, but at least it wasn't in a sling. 

Getting up again, but slowly this time, she heard voices in the hall. The door was wide open, as if someone had thrown it open, but the words were hushed and muffled. Making her way around the bed, she saw Trowa's green shirt move in a way that told her he had just stood up. But why would he be on the floor? she wondered. Then she saw Duo's braid swinging back and forth as Trowa helped up its owner. 

Maxwell must have fallen, Kami thought, suppressing a chuckle, and went as quickly as she dared to the hallway, thinking she should help. Her ankles felt swollen, her back ached and her knees were weak. So by the time she made it to the hall, Trowa was already guiding Duo to the office, but Quatre was still there, sitting on the carpeted floor. He was doubled over, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. 

Kami gasped and let out a ragged breath. It's not Drewmaud, it's not Drewmaud, she told herself and knelt down beside him. True, Quatre had blonde hair and blue eyes, like her trainer, but the man's hair was a shade darker, and his eyes were like ice, cold and heartless. In the short time she had spent with him, Kami had found that Quatre was caring, kind-hearted and friendly. The complete opposite of Drewmaud. She hated to see him like this. 

"Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" she asked softly as she put a hand on his shoulder. 

Quatre looked up, his eyes pained and teary. "Hai (Yes). Anata (You)?" he replied in a whisper. 

"I've been better," she said smiling. "I didn't know you knew Japa--" She was cut off as her vision went black and a wave of nausea passed over her. 

"Miss Kami, Miss Kami, are you alright?" 

"Yeah... I," Once again, she stopped short as pain wove it's way through her still-sore body. "Niichan..." she said under her breath. 

She hadn't meant it to be heard, but the blond had caught it and hung his head. "I, I'm not sure how he is..." 

"He stopped breathing again, didn't he?" she asked, her voice so soft, Quatre had to strain to hear her. 

"Yes, I think so... how'd you--" All of a sudden, Kami stood up, and used the newly-induced adrenaline to get herself into Heero's room. 

Sally and Une were sitting there, on the edge of the bed, Heero laying ontop of it quietly. The two women didn't even notice the girl until she had jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to the dark haired pilot. Sally was about to remark when Une shushed her and nodded towards the door. The last image they saw of the two teens that day was Kami stroking Heero's hair, her head on his shoulder.   
***  
"I don't know why this keeps happening." Sally said solemnly at dinner that night. "My only guess is that he damaged his lungs in the attack." 

"But what if..." Quatre shook his head and then replied, "Ah, nevermind." 

"What is it, Quatre?" Trowa asked, looking at the blonde. 

"No, no, it's nothing, really." 

"It has to be something, or you would never had said anything about it in the first place," Wufei said grouchily. 

"Well," Quatre looked over at Duo, who had amazingly been quiet throughout the meal. " I think it has something to do with Kami." 

Trowa nodded thoughtfully. Duo just stared at his food like he hadn't heard. Une spooned rice into her mouth and said polietly, "That could be it. What do you think, Sally?" 

"Well, I suppose... but, how do you mean, Quatre? Kami's been in the other room the whole time." 

"No, no, nothing like that." Quatre said quickly. "I meant, more indirectly, I suppose. Like, she knows something that we don't about him. Or visa versa." He paused, then continued, "And there's something else, too... Kami was unconcious when he first stopped breathing, but just now, she asked me if he had stopped again... So there has to be some sort of bond between them that we don't know about..." 

"It's an idea at least." Une replied. They finished their meal in silence.   
***  
"Niichan... Niichan..." Kami called softly in her sleep. 

Her dreams were of their past, hers and Heero's. She had finally gotten the memories that had hurt her so much before out of her head and now they were back, planning on haunting her until she would finally be able to forget them again, only to come back later and start the whole process over. 

Most soldiers had nightmares about the war. The blood, the faces, the sleepless nights filled with the anxious awaiting of something foreboding. Not Kami. Instead, she remembered the times before that, when she was training to be a soldier. No matter how far she traveled, how long ago it became, the haunting memories never left her. 

~~~Flashback~~~  
Heero rolled over quietly, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. "Imoto?" he asked softly. 

The figure in the darkness paused. "Go back to sleep, Niichan. It's alright." 

Eleven year-old Heero paid no heed and sat up. "What's wrong?" 

"I told you, nothing's the matter. Now go back to sleep." Kami looked as if she was stuffing something in something else. 

"It's three in the morning." Heero said, looking at the clock. 

"I know." 

"What are you doing up at three o' clock in the morning?" 

"Leaving." came the answer from the darkness. Kami appeared in front of him, her ten year-old body covered in nothing but her thin night gown and a shawl. She didn't even have shoes. 

Cabbi was stuck in his arms as she bent down to kiss Heero on the top of his head. 

"You'll probably never see me again," she whispered. "You'll probably forget all about me after a week, but, here, you can keep Cabbi. I won't be needing him anymore." Then she turned and left, closing the door behind her softly, leaving Heero and Cabbi alone together in the darkness.   
~~~End Flashback~~~ 

"I never forgot you..." Kami whispered as she snuggled up closer to Heero's sleeping form. The blackness drew her in again and this time, both of them ceased holding on to the thin thread of life.   
***  
"We might have a problem, guys." Sally said as she walked into the room. "Turns out, the pilot of the plane that attacked this sector knew Heero and Kami from training." 

"Drewmaud?" Trowa asked, worriedly, glancing at Quatre, who was up on the table being examined. 

"No, we have reason to believe that it was someone their age." Une replied, coming up from behind Sally. 

Quatre gave a half-hearted sigh, recieving a glare from the nurse taking his pulse. "Oops... sorry..." he chuckled nervously. "So is that good or bad?" asked the blond. 

"Well," answered Une, "we're not sure yet. In a few more hours, we'll have the data needed to determine that. But for now," she added tersly, "you are to rest. We can't have you passing out in the hallways anymore." Quatre blushed noticeably. 

Changing the subject, Trowa asked, "How's Heero and Kami doing, do you know?" 

Sally sighed. "Well, they're both breathing, at least. It's too soon to tell about anything else." 

"I don't understand, though. They seem perfectly fine, with the exception of a few minor injuries and of course, a couple broken bones..." Une trailed off as Quatre began breathing heavily again. His breaths came out raspy and he clutched his shirt with one hand, Trowa's sleeve with the other. 

"Quatre? Quatre!" Trowa took the blond's shoulders in his hands and looked him straight in the face. "Quatre, what's wrong?" 

"Kanashimi..." he managed to say before the nurse came back in, pushing his way through. 

Sally and Une left Trowa with Quatre as they ran down the hall to the room Heero and Kami were sharing at the moment. The girl was fine, but they couldn't say the same for Heero. 

The machines were beeping wildly and everything was going haywire. Une grabbed Heero's failing arms, as Sally not only turned off the machines, but also shouted out into the hallway for some help. Une quickly looked at the respirator, thinking he had stopped breathing yet again, but it was quite the opposite. 

Heero struggled to stay awake as he fought against the respirator. His eyes were glazed over and seemed confused. "Heero, breathe with it," Sally said as she ran back to his bed and sat on the edge of it, patting his hand. A couple moments passed and she was able to remove the tube due to the fact that he could now breathe without it. 

"Nani (What)... Doko desu ka (Where)...?" 

"Shhh..." Sally said as a doctor came in. He looked over Heero quickly and waved it off. 

"He'll be fine." The man left. 

"But--" Heero stopped her by placing his hand on her arm. 

"It's alright." He looked around. "I'm fine... but..." 

"We're at the hospital, Heero," Une said. 

He nodded slowly. "What happened? The last thing I remember was running with Kami..." His eyes grew wide. "Imoto (Little sister)? Daijoubou kanojo-wa desu ka (Is she alright)?" 

"Yes, yes, she's fine." Une assured him. "She's right there." The woman waved to the bed beside him. He hadn't noticed it because of the partly pulled across partion between them. Sally yanked it back, and sure enough, Kami was there. 

Her left wrist was in a splint and her hair was a mess, but other than that, she was fine. Heero let out a sigh of relief that startled him. He hadn't even known he had been holding his breath. 

Laying back down, Heero asked, "So what kind of food is there around here?"   
***  
"C'mon," Quatre tugged Trowa's sleeve and headed down the hallway. 

"Quatre, I really do believe you should take it easy for awhile," the tall boy replied, pulling back gently. 

The blond turned and stared at him. "I know, but... Trowa, please? Can I just see them for a few minutes?" he pleaded. 

Before Trowa could open his mouth, a braid came bouncing up. And with that braid came its owner and a grouchy looking Chinese boy. 

"Q-man! Hey, had us worried there for a sec. You okay?" Duo asked, cheerfully. 

"Yes, Duo, I'm fine." 

"Good." Wufei said with a curt nod to greet the two. "That means we can leave." 

"But, Fei-kun!" Duo whined. 

"No, Maxwell. You promised me that you'd come back to the safe house with me as soon as you saw Winner. You saw Winner, so, let's go." Wufei grabbed Duo's arm and began walking away. "And it's Wufei, not anything else. Got it?" 

"Yep. Bye!" Duo waved as Wufei continued dragging him down the hall. Quatre and Trowa could still hear him saying something about Heero as the two left. 

"He seems better now, don't you think so, Trowa?" Quatre asked. 

The tall boy watched Duo bug Wufei down the hall and smiled. "Like nothing ever happened," he replied. "Come on," Trowa said after a few moments. Sighing, he led Quatre to the room down the hall. Quatre smiled.   
***  
"No." 

"But Heero," 

"No." 

"Heero," 

"I said no. And I refuse to answer that question with anything but that." 

"Heero," Sally recieved a glare. "We need--" 

"I know. I heard you the first three times. And my answer is still no." Heero crossed his arms over his chest and sat there defiantly. 

"But--" 

"If he doesn't want to answer, then he won't. How many times must he say it for you to understand?" came a voice from the doorway. Sally and Une turned to see Trowa and Quatre. 

"It's not a question of want. It's a question of life and death." Une said. 

"What was it?" Quatre asked, making his way slowly to the edge of Kami's bed which he sat diligently on. 

"Nothing of great importance." Heero said quickly, yet casually. 

Sally glared at him. "I just asked if there were any other people who trained with them on L1." 

"Well, he answered you." Trowa replied. 

"So he did..." Une said softly after a few moments of silence. 

"So," Quatre said cheerfully, clapping his hands. "What are--" He was cut off as Kami sat up and stared at him. "Oh! I'm sor--," Kami bolted out of the bed and ran out the door. "--ry..." 

Heero sighed and got up to follow her, but Sally stopped him. "You need to rest, Heero." He was going to shake her off and go anyway when Trowa shook his head. 

"I'll find her. Don't worry." Taking one last glance at Quatre and Heero, he left the room in search of the fifteen year-old girl.   
***  
Panic surged through her. Her first instinct was to run, and Heero had always told her to act upon her emotions... or was it the other way around? Kami couldn't think. Her mind was all in a blur. The last time she was in a hospital... Kami ran past the front desk, going through a door marked 'Employees Only'. 

As the door swung closed behind her, fear welled up inside her. Kami pushed it down and continued her flight through the darkness. It was a corrider with stacked boxes on both sides. No one noticed her. No one was even there. 

Coming to a dead end, Kami skid to a stop. "So this'll end it all..." she whispered and pushed herself against the wall. Sliding down, coming to a position of her her knees beneath her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Kami made a whimpering sound. This was it. Drewmaud would find her again. And this time, the punishment would be more severe. 

~~~Flashback~~~  
Eleven year-old Kami crawled through the vent, her nightgown getting caught under her knees. At the end of the vent, she could see the bars of light shining in from the grate over her exit to the outside. 

Kami carefully pushed the grate off and somersalted out of the vent. She replaced the covering and turned. Before she could start running, though, a large man appeared in front of her. It was the guard. 

Kami ran off and he followed her, calling for back up on his two-way radio. Another guard appeared in front of the girl and grabbed her arms, pinning them by her side. She struggled, but to no avail. The men were four times her size and much stronger than she. 

The guards got her back into the building and Doctor Jay came in. He glared down at her. "233846, I am most disappointed in you." The girl winced, hoping he wouldn't yell. Instead, he did something worse. He was silent. Several minutes passed by, and the guards left, to Doctor Jay's orders. 

"I'm afraid we'll have to keep you in another part of the building. A more... secure... area..." In a few hours, Kami was in what resembled a jail cell. One bed, a simple, thin worn out blanket, bars on the door window. They even had stationed a guard outside the door. Inside, she was throwing herself repeatedly against the brick and cement wall. 

"Heh." said one of the trainees, passing by. "She'll knock herself out in a couple minutes if she keeps that up." But she didn't. 

Doctor Jay had called Drewmaud, who came quickly from spearing lessons and stared at the door to Kami's room silently. The he moved over and began unlocking the door, glaring at the guard when he tried to stop him. 

"Aka, doko desu ka (Baby, where are you)?" he asked playfully as he stepped inside. 

"Gone." came an answer from a shadowed corner. 

"Whatever do you mean, Aka?" Drewmaud said smiling cruelly as he walked over to where she was huddled. 

"I'm not your baby girl, 818937. I never was and never will be." she shot back. 

"Oh, I think that's where you are wrong, 233846. As long as I'm alive, you'll always be under my thumb." 

"Fine. I suppose I'll just have to kill you then. I wouldn't mind, really. Honestly, I want to kill you, anata chikusoga Musuko no teppo (you fucking son of a gun)." 

"I'd like to see you try." Kami threw herself upon him, her short nails digging into his skin, long fingers pulling his hair so his head was firmly on the ground. With her left hand, she punched him several times, in the arm, face, stomach. 

The man retaliated by grasping her arms above the elbows, bringing his knee up to her stomach and grabbed her hair, which had come out of the braid during her earlier adventures. 

Their fight only ended when Doctor Jay walked in and shouted, "Enough!" then pulled them apart, tossing Kami aside. "What is the meaning of this, Drewmaud?" 

"She jumped me as I was coming in." replied the blond as he got up and dusted himself off. 

"That's not true!" Kami shouted defensively. "He's the one who started it!" 

"Quiet!" Doctor Jay yelled, glaring at them both. "I don't care and didn't ask who started it, I asked why! Are you two so dumb you can't comprehend a simple question?" 

Drewmaud snorted. "If anyone here is dumb," Kami said quietly, "it's not I." 

"Quiet, girl." Drewmaud hissed. 

"Make me." The blonde man leapt for her, but was cut short as Doctor Jay stepped in the way. 

"Get out off my way, old man, or I'll kill you, too." 

"I will not permit anymore of this nonsense! One more stunt like this and you both will be annihilated! Is that clear?!" Doctor Jay asked, shooting looks to kill at the both of them. Realizing he would actually kill them over this, the younger soldiers nodded solemnly. "Good." Doctor Jay walked away, handing a a leafet of papers to the guard who glanced at it and grinned wolfishly. 

"I'll get you for this, girl." Drewmaud hissed and he too left. 

Every night, the blonde soldier came into her room and they fought, sometimes with words, but mostly with their fists. After a few days, though, Drewmaud found the room empty. The guard always left at this time, so he couldn't ask about it. 

Instead he went through the filing cabinets in a resricted area. The building was huge, and it would take several days to search it nonchalantly. Finding the papers he was looking for, he quickly skimmed through them. Smirking, Drewmaud left and headed to the furthest wing. 

It was two in the morning. Kami was tired but couldn't go to sleep. It would look un-Perfect-Soldier-ly. She had to be strong now. Doctor Jay had brought her to a wing of the newly rebuilt building that she had never been to. But she had heard stories. The older officers told them to scare her and Heero, but she was never really frightened by them. But right now, sitting in the hard-backed metal chair with lights blazing all around, they seemed real enough to send shivers down her spine whenever someone passed by. 

They had threatened to kill her, the commanding officers. She had recieved deaththreats, derogatory notes. She had found newpaper articles in her stuff, all about kidnappings, murders, and such. She knew that one day, the threats would no longer be threats, that they would become real, but she never thought it so soon. 

Doctor Jay, the man who had raised her for the last nine years, came in. He nodded curtly and she got up. Kami followed him to a room down the white washed corrider. As she stepped inside, she knew exactly what would happen.   
~~~End Flashback~~~ 

Kami whimpered, pressing her back against the wall. She unconsciously rubbed her left wrist and realized that there was a splint on it. She was so scared, it didn't even register in her mind that she had hurt her wrist. She could feel the pain, now, but it was distant, far away, as if her mind and body were on different planes. 

She was too worried about Drewmaud, though, to really care about the pain in her wrist, her side. She had woken up to Heero's voice, like she used to every morning. But when she opened her eyes, she heard someone else's voice and sat up straight, making sure someone hadn't tried to kill Heero again. There was, after all, the clapping sound that could have been from a silencer. And that was when she saw Drewmaud on her bed. For a split second, she froze, but he started to say something and she had ran. Heero had left her mind completely, all she could think of was the many ways she could kill the blond when she finally gathered up enough courage. 

I should have killed him that one time, she thought, cradling her wrist to her chest, more for emotional comfort than physical. Kami heard soft footsteps down the hall, coming towards her. They were so soft, most people wouldn't have heard them, but then again, most people weren't trained to be Perfect Soldiers. 

~~~Flashback~~~  
Kami stared at the body of the guard. It was the only way... shaking off the foreboding feeling of guilt, she grabbed the guard's keys and ran off in search for her former partner. 

Kami found Heero in the hanger, finishing up some work on the suit he had been using for the last couple of weeks. Just as she was about to go into the hanger, Drewmaud showed up. Kami backed into the corner, hidden in the shadows. She could hear and see everything even though they couldn't see her. 

"So, 133847, how's it going?" 

"Fine." Heero replied curtly. 

"Guess what I heard?" 

Heero sighed and put down his wrench. "I don't have time to listen to your gossip." he said as he reached for another tool. 

"She tried to escape. They caught her." 

Heero's head snapped up. "Nani (What)?" 

Drewmaud smirked. "You heard me. Your little friend got caught escaping. You know what happens to turncoats." 

"Hai. Hai, Watakushi suru. (Yes. Yes, I do)" Heero replied glumly, turning back to his work. "Itsu ni (When at)?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Drewmaud asked slyly. "For your information, it's already taken place." 

Heero whirled around, his twelve year-old body moving with such deadly litheness, even Kami was surprised. "Bakayaro (Bastard)! It's your fault she's dead now, you know!" 

Drewmaud smiled crookedly. "Yes, I know. And might I add that it was quite fun breaking her?" 

Heero leapt at him, his trustworthy wrench in his hand. The two rolled off the suit onto the floor, not stopping. Even though Drewmaud was worn from all the nightly fights he had had with Kami, he still gained the upper hand, and pinned Heero to the floor. Drewmaud whipped out his knife and opened it with one hand and his teeth. Smiling, the blond ran the knife across the boy's collarbone, and down his arm, twisting it and turning it so the knife actually only broke the skin on his upper arm. 

Kami gasped as a river of blood poured from the gash Drewmaud had just finished making. The older soldier began getting more daring everytime Heero's blood stained the blade of his knife. Soon, the twelve year old was barely conscious, his clothes soaked in his own blood, a puddle of red surrounding him. Drewmaud had the blade directly across Heero's neck when a wooden chair crashed ontop of him. 

Drewmaud was stunned long enough for Kami to kick him in the stomach and pull Heero out from under him. The blond stood up, growling, as Heero wiped the small trickle of blood away from his split lip. Drewmaud swore under his breath when he realized he was looking straight into the barrel of Kami's gun. The one Doctor Jay had given her as soon as she had mastered her shooting skills. It was a Specials, and Doctor Jay had engraved a message into it's butt. Drewmaud smiled as he remembered what it said. 

"To Operation Meteor Candidate number two. For successes unknown to anyone else, Doctor Jay." he recited. "How ironic that even if you did have the skills to carry out that mission, I'm afraid you'll never get the chance to find out what it is." 

"I know what it is. I've read all the files about and relating to Operation Meteor." Kami hissed. 

"How lucky for you, then, Aka." 

"Don't confuse luck with skill." Kami said, cocking the gun. Heero had run off quickly to the suit to fetch his, which had fallen out of his pocket. 

"I'm afraid then, you'll need alot of luck, seeing that you possess no skill whatsoever." Drewmaud said. He knew he was getting her angry, he was doing it on purpose. Anger blinded the mind in fights. 

"Only those ill-prepared need luck, 818937." Kami said as she twisted around, not letting Drewmaud's foot kick her gun away as it lashed out. Pulling another knife from his boot, Drewmaud advanced onto her, as she fumbled with her gun, which had locked itself up. If she pulled the trigger, it would backfire - she hadn't been able to clean it in several days. 

Drewmaud was unable to reply as a handful of shots rang out. They both ducked and then stood quickly, trying to figure out who had shot at them. Heero was standing there, barely able to support himself, his gun laying on the floor near his feet. 

"Niichan?!" Kami asked, astounded. Heero shook his head noand then she realized there were five other people in the room. "Uh oh..." 

Two of the guards led Drewmaud away as another one helped Heero to the infiirmary. Doctor Jay and another guard led Kami to her room. This time, they were going to kill her...   
~~~End Flashback~~~ 

"Kami-san?" came a soft masculine voice. Only one person called her that. 

"Barton?" she called out softly, her voice wavering. Trowa stepped up in front of her. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that the footsteps had stopped. Trowa knelt down next to her. 

"Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" he asked quietly. Trowa thought that it would be better to talk to her in Japanese, since she seemed more relaxed with it. 

"Hai (Yes)..." came the whispered reply. Kami had buried her head in her arms, which were wrapped around her chest-drawn knees. 

Sighing, the tall Latin boy held out his hand. "Ikuzo (let's go), Heero's waiting." He only knew certain phrases and hoped she didn't mind his mixed sentences. She didn't, and got up, grasping his hand for support as her ribs caved in. 

"Is it the one from before?" Trowa asked, leading her back to the room she shared with Heero. Kami nodded and paused, grimancing. Then she began to walk again, slowly. By the time they made it out of the 'Employees's Only' area, Kami was leaning against the wall, shuffling her feet forwards. 

Trowa sighed and stopped, saying, "Menjo suru watakushi (Forgive me), Kami-san," then gathered her up gently in his arms. Startled at first, Kami gave no objection and wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. Leaning her head against his shoulder, Kami fell asleep, exhausted.   
***  
"But you said _kanashimi_." Une said. 

"I know. I apologize. I meant kanashimi as in the Japanese word for sorrow. I forgot that that was Miss Kami's real name." 

"No, it's not." 

"What?" Quatre turned to Heero. 

"It isn't her real name. It's just some thing Doctor J came up with when she was little to make her feel like she had a name. Like she was a real person. I don't even know her true identity..." 

"But, I thought, you were brother and sister...?" Quatre trailed off as Trowa walked in, carrying Kami in his arms. The girl was fast asleep, her head on Trowa's shoulder and arms wrapped loosely around his neck. 

"I think she broke her ankle," Trowa said to Sally. "She can barely stand." 

"It's kind of hard to stand when you're not conscious, ne?" Sally said cheerfully, making her way over to the girl's bed, where Trowa was setting the girl down. 

Quatre left hurriedly with Une, afraid that Kami'd run off again if she suddenly awoke and saw him. Heero glared at the Preventer. "That's not funny." he said monotonously. 

"Sorry." Sally said quickly and went to tend to the girl, pulling the curtain back to divide the room. Heero looked at Trowa expectantly. 

"Employee's hallway," he replied. "Sitting against a wall, mumbling something about..." Trowa trailed off, realizing Heero didn't yet know about the thing with Quatre and Drewmaud. "Heero..." 

"What is it, Trowa?" 

"Do, did you know any one by the name of Drewmaud?" Heero looked around the room, trying to slow his heartbeat at the same time. "Heero?" Trowa sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Yes. I knew someone named that." Heero finally replied. "Why?" 

Trowa thought about how he should 'spill the beans,' as they say. "She tried to kill Quatre, Heero, calling him Drewmaud." The Perfect Soldier stared at him, then closed his eyes and leaned back. 

"Ch'kusho..." Heero swore under his breath. 

"Heero...?" Trowa asked hesitantly. 

"What is it?" he asked, not opening his eyes. 

"Does '233846EMI' mean anything to you?" 

Heero sat up straight, his Prussian blue eyes snapping open. "Nande (What was that)?" 

"Does--" 

"I heard what you said." Heero snapped. "Was, was it her?" 

"Yeah... why?" 

Trowa recieved no reply except for Heero leaping off the bed and rushing to the other one. 

"Heero!?" Sally yelped, surprised. He didn't answer as he picked up Kami's wrist and ripped the velcro open on the splint. The girl's head turned as she woke up. 

"Niichan?" she asked hopefully. 

Heero glanced at her left wrist, and practically threw it back down. "Jigoku sono (The hell is that)?" he yelled. 

The girl's emerald green eyes went wide and she hung her head. "Sumimasen... watashi yurusu (I'm sorry... forgive me)..." 

"Yurusu anata (Forgive you)?" he shouted back. "Uso! Zettai ni yorusen (I can't believe this! By no means will I forgive you)!" he yelled. 

"Iyaa usagai (Shut up)! It's not my fault, okay?! I didn't mean for it to..." 

"Sou desu ka (That's true, isn't it)? Well guess what? It did." 

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Kami asked, sitting up. 

"Like hell I don't!" Heero shot back. 

"Lin ja nai desu ka (Does it really matter)? I said I'd get out alive." 

"Well, it matters to me!" Heero yelled. Lowing his voice to a whisper, he added, "How can you live with no mission, no purpose, when he's after you?" 

"Niichan... please..." 

"No. I'm sorry, I won't." Heero turned and walked out of the room. Sally left with him, not saying anything. 

Trowa stood there akwardly, not knowing what to say or do. "He," Kami whispered, "He just doesn't understand..." 

"Understand what?" Trowa asked softly, sitting on the edge of her bed, almost afraid of the answer. 

Kami closed her eyes, sighing, and replied in a quiet voice, "I _can't_..."   
***  
"Heero, I think you should give her another chance," Quatre said. 

"Why? So she can kill us all?" asked the Perfect Soldier. Whatever humane feelings he had been beginning to show had completely diasappeared. Vanished with that one glance. 

"Heero," 

"No. I will not risk your lives for my mistake." 

"But she's your sister!" Quatre said, amazed that he'd actually think of such a thing. 

"No she's not!" Heero yelled, standing up. "Kami may look like me in semblence, act like me in a war, but she is not my sister!" 

"What do you mean?" Trowa asked, looking towards the door to see if anyone else was there to hear this conversasion. 

"We were raised together by Doctor Jay." Heero said, seemingly calming down a bit. "Her older brother had died and she was five. I let her call me that because she was the first one who I thought I could trust. She risked her life for me dozens of times, as I her. But no matter how close we seemed to be before, it's over. She's not my sister and I will not have anything else to do with her." he stated. 

Une intervened. "Heero, you can't just--" 

"Yes, I can, I will, and I have." 

"But they're just a bunch of numbers, Heero," Trowa said. "What significance could they possibly have?" 

Heero sighed. "We don't have names because we aren't people. We are instruments used to complete missions. We are Perfect Soldiers. Without names, they had to call us something, so they gave us numbers..." 

"Who's they?" Une asked. 

"Doctor Jay and the others. The scientists, the doctors, professors." Heero closed his eyes. "When Kami escaped, they caught her, but didn't really do anything about it. The second time, though, they were going to kill her. By branding her wrist with her 'name', if she escaped again, the military could be alerted and search the entire colony for a girl with '233846EMI' on her left wrist." Heero held out his arm. Very faintly, they could see '133846ADI' tatooed there. "They put it on the outside layer of skin. It's simply a matter of cutting that layer off to erase it." Heero said. 

Quatre swallowed. "But why 'EMI'?" he asked. 

"It's part of her real name. Just like mine is Adin." Heero finished. 

"But--" 

"No," Heero said. "No more today..." Heero sat down in a chair, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Quatre looked at Trowa, who shrugged. Une sighed and left as Sally came over. "Heero," she said, almost questioningly, flipping hurriedly through a sheaf of papers. Looking up, she saw the three boys just sitting there. "I," 

"We were just leaving." Trowa said, getting up and pulling a submissive Quatre in through the door, closing it behind them. Sally watched them leave and turned back to the Perfect Soldier. 

"Heero, I wanted to discuss the test results with you..."   
***  
Heero watched silently as Kami's chest moved up and down in a rythmic beat. She looked almost peaceful when she slept, but Heero knew just what blood-lusting past hid beneath. He knew just how heart-broken she was, and his leaving would just make it worse, but he had to. Everyone knew he'd leave her, and they actually believed he would. What they didn't know was how hard it'd be for him to do so. Heero knew he had to, but he also knew he had to stay. For both of them. 

"Niichan..." Kami whispered and curled up tighter in a ball. Her skin looked so pale, marred only by the darker scars of training. Heero, sighing, rose from his bed and crossed the room to hers. Gently, he pulled the sheet to her chin, and tucked it in around her. 

True, she'd grown up as a soldier, could take care of herself, and had a decent job, but, Heero still felt like it was his duty to protect her, as if she really were his sister. So, she was more than a year younger than he was, that didn't matter. One of Quatre's twenty-nine sisters was two years older than he was and acted like the blond was only a small child. That's how Heero felt towards Kami. He had always been the one to protect her, take care of her, and now he was leaving her, alone. 

It's her own fault, he thought to himself, trying to make the guilt weighing him down lift some. If she had been more careful when she left, if she never tried to leave at all, if she just accepted the way things were... this would never had happened. 

Heero wondered if the situation would have played differently if she had told him. No matter what he thought about, who he tried to blame, how hard he told himself that it wasn't his fault, the more he realized it was. He shouldn't have gotten so mad before. Kami couldn't help getting caught like that, she was just trying to help him. That's one strike against him. 

Heero could have helped her escape, could have escaped with her, strike two. He could have killed Drewmaud, killed Doctor Jay. Strike three. He should have told her about his own brand... Heero remembered how Trowa had explained it. The first time Kami had collaspsed, Trowa and Heero had basically taken care of her, with the help from Sally. Trowa had seen her wrist when they were taking her long sleeved shirt off to bandage the wound on her side. Long sleeved... 

Heero realized that Kami had worn long sleeved shirts every time he saw her. She was trying to hide it. She didn't want them to know. But, Heero argued with himself, what if she didn't want to remember it? Everytime he so much as glanced at his own left wrist, painful memories came up that he didn't want to resurface. What if she was just trying to protect them? 

Heero was torn between himself. One part wanted to believe that she had hid it from them to protect them, but the other side kept considering the worst case scenerios where she would help get them caught. He was torn between his human feelings and his soldierly instincts. Which should he trust in? He had always said to act upon your emotions, but he was having split feelings, mixed up emotions. Which would be the right one to trust in? 

Kami moaned in her sleep, obviously in pain considering how rigid her body went. Heero went quietly into the small bathroom and came back out a few minutes later with a cool, wet rag and an ice pack. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Heero gently draped the pack across Kami's side, ontop of the gash she had gotten escaping from this very hospital. How ironic, Heero thought as he placed the washcloth on Kami's forehead. 

Quatre had said that she had gotten a fever before, but right now, she seemed to only be bothered by the broken wrist and the reopening gash on her side. Kami slid deeper into the sheets as Heero laid down gently beside her. He had made up his mind. In the morning, he would leave.   
***  
Kami woke up shivering. It wasn't that it was too cold in the room, she had just had another nightmare. Drewmaud was alive, she was sure of it. And he was coming to kill her, and possibly Heero as well. Speaking of Heero... 

Kami turned her head to see him laying on his side, facing her. His lips moved silently as he slept. Kami gave a small smile and managed to turn so she was facing him without disturbing him. 

"Niichan," she whispered. "I'm so sorry..." Kami fingered his unruly bangs, her hand traveling down to his cheek where it paused for a moment before resting on his shoulder. She could see the faint white scar running down and across his collarbone, shoulder, and forearm. It was her fault Drewmaud had given it to him, just like it was her fault he would leave. 

Kami sighed and pulled the white sheets up further, turning back away from Heero. Even though she wasn't cold, Heero had to be, dressed in black jeans and his green tank top. Smirking, Kami remembered how he used to always wear that tank with the same spandex shorts. She had always prefered turtlenecks and thick jeans herself. 

What now, she asked herself as she sunk deep into the covers, pressing up against Heero. Kami knew she had to get out of the place, but she couldn't abandon Heero, even if he would her. Kami's breathing became erratic, but because she had made sure she wasn't hooked up to anything, no one came. Except for Heero. 

"What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear. Her reply was a hestitated sigh. "It's alright..." he whispered, his arm snaking its way around her waist. Heero could feel her body tense up but eventually relax as he scooted closer and wrapped her in his arms. 

"You're leaving today, aren't you?" 

"Hai (Yes). But not without you..." 

"N-nani (What)?" She turned her head to look at him. His Prussian blue eyes stared into her emerald green ones. 

"You heard me..." He laid his head back down on the pillow, beckoning her to do the same. 

"Niichan..." 

"At noon," he whispered. "Trowa's gonna bring the truck around back." Kami shook her head sadly. "What?" Heero asked, afraid she would refuse. 

"After all this time, you still can't speak proper English..." 

Heero chuckled. "And you still don't trust anyone, do you?" 

"I trust no one." Kami said, solemnly. 

"You can trust them, Kami. Trowa, Duo, Wufei, Quatre. Even Sally..." "Hm?" Heero pulled her even closer to him. 

"What about Une? She was with Trieze, wasn't she?" Kami asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Yes. To both questions. She is now the commanding officer of the Preventers." Heero answered, closing his eyes. 

Kami sighed. "I'll try..." she said, and laid her head down next to Heero's, a feeling of dejavu washing over her.   
***  
"Clear." 

Kami and Heero snuck out of the room and walked briskly down the hall. Duo and Wufei were making so much racket with their bickering, the nurses didn't even notice as the two climbed out a window and onto the fire escape. 

Kami and Heero, led by Quatre, made their way to the back of the hospital, where Trowa was waiting for them in his truck, which he had fixed. 

"Quick, hurry," the blond whispered urgently, helping Kami into the truck's cab. She slid in next to Trowa and waited for Heero to sit beside her before she fell asleep. At least, that's what Quatre thought she was doing. 

"I'll be right back, Heero. I have to go get Duo-kun and Fei-kun." Quatre disappeared behind the truck and made his way back into the hospital. 

"Fei-kun?" Kami asked. 

Trowa smiled. "You might not want to ask." 

"I already did." the girl pointed out. 

"Duo calls him that to get under his skin, and the name's sorta gotten stuck on all of us now." Heero explained quickly. 

Kami smiled. "You did it again." she said. The brown haired boy glared at her. 

Trowa looked between the two, as if asking what they were talking about. Kami grinned, "You might not want to ask." she said, repeating him. Trowa raised an eyebrow and shook his head, turning back to staring out the windshield. After a few more minutes, Quatre returned, with Duo gripping his arm tightly, and Wufei gripping the boy's braid just as tightly, if not tighter. 

Kami could hear Duo's moans of protest. "Stop... please? Fei-kun, that hurts! Ow! Stop..." 

Wufei was growling menacingly in his ear, so the others couldn't hear what he said, but Duo's eyes were wide and he was shaking his head frantically. Quatre opened the door and jerked his arm inside, causing Duo to almost fly into the truck. He landed on Heero's lap. 

Heero looked at Duo, Duo looked back at Heero. Kami smirked, glancing between the two and turned to whisper something in Trowa's ear. He chuckled lightly and started the engine. Quatre crawled in next to Duo, who had manged to get seated in a vacant spot, and Wufei was left with the other window seat. 

As soon as Wufei had shut the door, grumbling about the injustice of name-calling, Trowa hit the accelerator and the truck raced out of the parking lot. After a couple of minutes, Kami turned to Heero and whispered something in Japanese. He replied in Japanese as well in a hushed tone. 

"Trowa, do you think you could slow it down a bit?" Heero asked. "It's not going to help us very much if we get arrested for speeding." Trowa thought for a moment, then nodded his approval and eased up on the gas. 

"Not a man of many words, ne?" Kami asked softly. Trowa looked at her through the corner of his eye and the sides of his lips seemed to curl up slightly in a small smile. Kami smiled back and she and Heero conversed softly in Japanese, with Kami sneaking looks at Trowa every so often. 

A few minutes away from the safehouse, Kami giggled loudly. Everyone turned to look at her and Heero, who had managed to actually blush. Kami turned to the boy driving and asked, "Trowa, will you laugh for me?" 

Heero put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something. "Well why not?" Kami asked. "You said it was nice." 

Duo laughed as Heero's face turned beet red. Trowa, too, had a pinkish glow across the bridge of his nose. Quatre whispered to Duo about being nice and Wufei sighed very heavily and banged his head repeatedly against the rolled up window. 

"Fei-kun, why--" 

"What did you just call me?!" Wufei asked, pausing in his pounding to glare at the girl. 

Kami gave a nervous smile. "Fei-kun, I--" 

"NO! MY NAME IS NOT FEI-KUN! IT IS NOT WUFFERS, WUWU, WUFFY, NOR WU-MAN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" 

"Uh... yeah..." Kami said, smiling. "Don na ni anata iu (Whatever you say)... Fei-kun." 

Wufei began banging his head harder on the window. "This is all your fault, Maxwell." 

"Why is it my fault?" Duo asked, leaning over Quatre, who was talking to Heero, to poke the Chinese boy in the side with a pencil. 

"Maxwell!" Wufei spun to face him and the two would have gotten into a physical fight if Trowa hadn't slammed on the brakes. They were all thrown forward, and when they recovered, both Heero and Kami had their guns trained on youngest two pilots. 

"Say another word from here until we get there, and you will not be able to say anything ever again. Got it?" Kami asked. Wufei glared at her to be rewarded by the cocking of Heero's gun next to his ear. 

"Got it." he grumbled, and crossed his arms across his chest and faced his window. Duo agreed, as cheerful as always and resumed talking to the blond sitting next to him. Heero and Kami put their guns away and Trowa began driving again. 

"Trowa, didn't you take Kami's gun?" Quatre asked. 

"Yes, I did." the tall boy replied. 

"Then..." 

"I have more than one gun, Winner." Kami said. "Just like I have more than one switchblade, know more than one way to kill a person with my bare hands, know more than one way to hack into a level six security computer file, more than one way to annihilate a military base... shall I continue?" 

"Uh, no, no. That's quite alright, Kami, really." Quatre said hurriedly, hoping she wouldn't get into the details of murder. 

Kami shrugged. "Level six?" Heero asked. 

"Yup. You can hack into the file yourself, you can blackmail someone to do it for you, or you can just throw a pipe bomb at the computer and hope for the best." Heero was unable to respond because Trowa pulled the truck up behind the garage of Kami's safe house just then and they all filed out. 

"I hope one of you brought the key with you." Kami said as she managed to crawl over Trowa and hop out of the truck. 

"Maxwell has it." Wufei said glumly, opening his door. 

"I do?" Duo asked, peering over Quatre's shoulder. "I thought you grabbed it." 

Before yet another fight could occur, Kami held up a small metal stick. "I'll just have to pick it then." she said, "But, uh, Niichan..." Heero nodded and took his gun out. Kami knelt next to the back door and jiggled the knob, then inserted the pick into the keyhole and turned it. The tumblers finally gave and Kami jumped back as Heero hit the wall next to the door with the butt of his handgun. He waited for a moment before shrugging and turning the door knob. 

"What was that for, Heero?" Quatre asked as they all filed into the house. 

"Security system." Kami replied, taking a pocket knife and a flathead screwdriver out of a drawer in the kitchen. She went back outside and slipped the flathead under the board, prying it up. The pilots watched as a square piece came off. Inside was a mess of wires. 

Kami picked through the wires and cut, connected, and mixed them before closing the hidden space. She went back inside, closing the door behind her and put the tools away. Kami sat on Heero's lap and rocked back and forth gently. Heero wrapped his arms around her waist. "Taikutsu... taikutsu... (bored... bored)" Kami said. 

Heero smirked and tickled her side. "Iie (No)!" Kami double over in laughter. "Yamero! Iya! Yamero! (Stop! No! Stop!)" 

Heero paused just long enough to push her off his lap and onto the floor. He sat ontop of her and the two started a tickle war, the others just watching, awed. Duo looked over at Quatre slyly and the blond barely had time to figure out what he was thinking when Duo started tickling him. 

Trowa somehow ended up getting into it and he, Quatre and Heero teamed up against the braided boy and the girl. Wufei just sat there, with an eyebrow raised until Kami suddenly jumped into his lap and declared him base. "No!" Wufei was overtaken as the five of them, laughing, jumped on him. Soon it was no longer everyone against Chinese boy, but it had ended up with two teams. Kami, Heero, and Wufei were against Duo, Quatre, and Trowa. 

Wufei and Trowa, though not seemingly wanting to be a part of it, were the ones to stay away from. They had managed to keep their training with them through all of it and were very good at catching everyone off guard. Quatre dissolved into giggles if you so much as looked at him, so no one tried to get him. They just looked at him and take a step forward and he would fall to the ground laughing. 

Duo was probably the best, knowing just where, how, and when to get everyone. Heero was almost cruel, pushing his victims to the floor before sentencing them to at least five straight minutes of unforgiving, merciless tickling. Kami would get her victims backed up into a corner or up against a chair and sit there waiting for them to move before pouncing on them. 

She had manged to grab a pillow from the couch in the den and was currently beating Heero over the head with it as he held Duo's braid in one hand and tickled him with the other one. Trowa and Wufei had surrounded Quatre, who was trying to help Duo. The braided boy had Trowa's ankle and the tall brunette was trying not to fall as Duo rubbed his fingers gently up and down the skin above the top of his boot. 

The front door slammed shut and everyone paused. Sally appeared in the kitchen doorway and stared at the six teens. "Uh..."   
***  
[Chapter Three Finished]  
[Chapter Four Teaser - Trowa's eyes went wide as Kami pulled out an assortment of guns, grenades, bombs, and plastic explosives.]  
***  
This chapter's dedicated to SY01. The answer to your question is: 'Watashi wa wakari-masu nai' (I do not understand) or 'Wakari masen' (I do not know). 


	4. Chapter Four

Connections  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Diviana  
  
~~~  
  
[Chapter Flashback: Kami and Heero sneak out of the hospital and they all go back to the safehouse to have the Tickle War of Hell.]  
  
***  
  
"Sally! Uh... we didn't think, that you'd come by..." Quatre tried to speak without stuttering, his face bright red.  
  
Duo finally managed to make Trowa fall, and was rewarded by ending up underneath him. "Itai (Ow)! Tro~wa!"  
  
"..." The lanky brunette said nothing as he stood up and grabbed Duo's arm, pulling him up. Wufei was standing there, his mouth open, not knowing what to say when caught in such an embarressing position. Kami had stopped hitting Heero with the pillow and the two stared at Sally.  
  
"Please tell me you have a key... oh, please, say you have a key..." Kami asked. Sally looked at her, confused.  
  
"No... I picked it..." Kami and Heero leapt up and raced to the front door, where they knelt beside it and examined the knob.  
  
"Kuso! Get out!" Kami ran back to the kitchen, grabbing Heero's arm and pushing Sally and Duo out the door. Trowa and Quatre followed them and Wufei had barely managed to get out the door when they all heard a loud click and the house went up in flames.  
  
"Get down!" The seven of them pushed each other down to the ground as flaming pieces of metal flew at them. The bomb had caused all the computers in the office to malfunction, and because they too were on a security system, there were approximately six bombs going off.  
  
"Megami tasukeru wareware o (Goddess help us)..." Kami whispered just loud enough for Heero to hear.  
  
Yes, please do... he thought. After a few minutes, the fire had settled down just enough for them to get up. "I hear sirens." Trowa said, solemnly.  
  
Heero cocked his head to the side and he took off to the garage, not saying a thing. They all followed him to the truck and everyone hopped in. The cab wasn't big enough for them all though, because they had Sally, and Kami wouldn't let Duo sit on the floor, so she sat on Heero's lap, next to Trowa, who peeled out onto the street before they were all buckled.  
  
"Go to Main," Kami told him. "Turn left, on Seabury, then about three blocks down, there's a four-way intersection. Turn left and go until you see the dead-end sign. There's a road next to it, Cockell Drive. At the end of that street, turn right onto Falconway. It's the tall brick building with the pukey-green jeep in front."  
  
"What's that?" Duo asked.  
  
"My apartment." They were all silent as Trowa ran the stop sign at the intersection. They barely missed hitting the fire engine that was most likely going to the safehouse. The truck swerved and tilted several times before screeching to a halt in front of a tall building made of red brick. The seven of them rushed out and ran into the apartment.  
  
"Troy, I don't have my key." Kami said to what looked like a bellboy.  
  
"Yes ma'am." The boy saluted and leaned over the vacant desk. Tossing her a key, he asked, "Who're your friends?"  
  
"Just that, Troy. Friends." Kami answered as she ran up the stairs, the double doors swinging behind her. The group made their way up three flights of stairs and down a hallway, and up five more floors. When they got to the end of the corridor, Kami quickly unlocked the door to one of the rooms and everyone filed in. Kami slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it. She slid to the floor, listening, as Heero and Trowa looked out the windows. Duo and Wufei were going around making sure no one else was in the room.  
  
Quatre and Sally were standing in the middle of the room, awed. "I... I don't understand..."  
  
Kami looked at the blonde boy. "If the cops saw us there, they'd think we commited arson."  
  
"Tell them we didn't start the fire."  
  
"I can't." Kami got up and left. Heero followed her into the other room, where a computer was sitting on the desk. Kami had a laptop hooked up to it.  
  
The girl sat down and typed in random codes. Window after window appeared before she finally found what she was looking for. She skimmed it quickly and sighed heavily. Before Heero could lean over her shoulder and read it, she exited it and the other windows. Disconnecting some of the multiple wires that ran across the desk, Kami picked up the laptop and went off into another room.  
  
"Have fun." she said before closing the door. Heero looked down at the computer. It wasn't much, just a pulled-together makeshift mainframe. There wasn't even a cover. The mother-board laid on the floor, collecting dust, a pair of speakers sitting next to it, one on its side. The drives for compact discs, five and three-and-a-half inch floppies, and mp3s were scattered around the floor.  
  
The room was cluttered with papers and computer equipment, boxes, and a couple of dirty dishes. He noticed a pair of sneakers in the corner, and a scuff mark on the wall above them. It was dark, with only a single lamp to light the room. The room was fairly small, but large enough to fulfill its duty. Heero flipped a switch on the wall and was rewarded by three floresant lights on the ceiling coming to life. He sat down and began typing.  
  
***  
  
"I'm bored..."  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell, and scoot over." Wufei growled.  
  
"I can't... Quatre's in the way." Duo whined. The blond looked up.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." He slid down to sit on the floor and moved his queen a couple spaces to the right. Trowa barely noticed the bickering between the American and the Chinese boys as he thought of his next move.  
  
Kami and Heero had disappeared somewhere as soon as they had arrived and Sally was attempting to cook dinner in the kitchenette, but was having trouble finding what she needed. "I need garlic... not linden, whatever that is..." she mumbled. The woman searched through the cabinets to find even more odd bottles of things she had never heard of. Holding up a vial of clear liquid, she asked, "What's witch hazel?"  
  
Without looking up, Trowa answered, "Distilled, stops bleeding and helps with minor burns. Frozen, bites and bruises. Why?"  
  
Sally shook her head. Rumaging through the bottles and jars, she mumbled the names on the labels. "Arnica... chickweed... echinacea... huang qi, ginseng, he shou wu, wu wei zi...? What are those?"  
  
"Chinese plants." Wufei replied simply.  
  
"Okay..." Sally gave up and sat down in one of the hard wooden chairs set at the matching wood table. All of a sudden, Duo got up and crossed the room.  
  
"Uh..." he opened a door and two black forms leapt out from inside the room, jumping on top of him and knocking him to the ground. The three Gundam pilots stood up quickly, training their guns on the three figures rolling around on the rug.  
  
Duo rolled over and pinned one of his attackers to the ground while Quatre grabbed the other one. "Roowr..."  
  
"She has dogs?!" The two animals yipped in reply. Heero and Kami ran in, their guns out and safeties off.  
  
"Sadira, Sahara, heel." Kami sighed. The two labradours panted. Quatre had grabbed the one by the scruff of its neck and it looked up at him with sad brown eyes. "Rowr?"  
  
Quatre grinned and put his handgun away, kneeling on the floor. As he petted her, she laid down and licked his hand everytime it came close enough. Duo looked down at the one underneath him. "Rawr!" The dog lifted one of its huge paws and pushed his face away, towards the floor. The two began wrestling on the rug as the others watched.  
  
"You have... dogs...?" Heero asked, putting away his gun.  
  
"Yup. Sahara, be nice." she said as Duo tried to keep the claws coming towards him away from his face. "Where's Saree?" The black labradour that Quatre was petting got up and went back into the room they had just been in. She came back out with a bundle of gray fur in her mouth. Kami knelt and took the cat from the dog, who went back to the blonde haired soldier.  
  
Wufei shook his head and mumbled something about women and sentimatality and sat back down on the couch. Kami glared at him but then grinned almost evilly. She tossed the cat at him, and it landed in his lap. Heero snickered as Wufei jumped up, yelling obcenities as the cat hung there from his pants, shreiking.  
  
Trowa managed to hide a smile as Duo laughed. Quatre chuckled and got up to help the Chinese boy unhook the cat's claws. Sally was laughing so hard her face was red. "Woman," Wufei said, warningly, "I do not appreciate this one bit."  
  
"Neither does Saree." Kami pointed out.  
  
"Kisama (You)!" Wufei yelled.  
  
"Hold still." Kami said as she went over and picked up the cat. "There. Are you happy now? Or are you still as grouchy as you were before?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Woman..."  
  
"I have a name. Use it."  
  
"No."  
  
Kami's arm moved so fast, Wufei didn't have time to react. He stood there with his hands clutched tightly next to his sides, a red mark on his cheek. "Woman, you are going to pay for that..." he growled.  
  
"You can try to make my day," Kami said, putting the cat down on the floor. The two rushed at each other but Heero and Trowa reacted faster and grabbed the two, holding them back.  
  
The two were swearing at each other in what sounded like Mandarin. Sally stood up and gapped at the two. "You don't really mean that, do you?" The two glared at her. Finally, Kami managed to get out of Heero's arms and walked off, giving Wufei one last glare.  
  
"Omae o korosu (I will kill you)..." she said and slammed the door behind her, leaving everyone to stare at it.  
  
***  
  
Hands. Goddess, the hands were back again. With the needles. And the wires. The hands were always there, poking him, prodding him. The needles always appeared, taking and giving. The wires always made sure he was the Perfect Soldier, giving away every little secret his body told them.  
  
He laid there on the cold, metal table, with the hands and the needles and the wires surrounding him. How many times had this happened before? Countless... innumerable... so full of pain... and yet, he couldn't see life without it...  
  
The bright lights and the scratchy material of the restraints didn't seem so bright and scratchy anymore. Even the way the cold from the table seeped into his skin felt comfortable now. He had grown used to it all. All except the hands...  
  
Goddess, the hands... not the hands again... he had accepted the needles, the syringes, the IV tubes... he had understood and forgiven the wires and the machines they were hooked up to... but never would he accept or forgive the hands that tortured him day and night...  
  
They were cold, but warm from the blood cirulating inside them. They were hard and calloused, but soft as only human skin and flesh could be. They held him tightly, but gentle because they could not break his bones with their grip.  
  
The hands touched him again. Gods... the way they touched him... it wasn't exactly wrong, but it wasn't right, either. He didn't want them to touch him the way they did, where they did, how they did... he didn't want the hands to be near him period. The hands brought pain. They brought more training, more blood to stain his own hands. The hands were part of the reason his best, and probably only, friend had left...  
  
But as much as he hated the hands, the cruel, cold, unforgiving hands, he could do nothing to prevent them from coming again. He could not kill a pair of the hands, for that would only bring even more unfamilair hands and a punishment. He could not defy nor disobey the hands because the hands were what kept him alive.  
  
He knew he could not harm the hands. The hands that hurt him so bad. The hands that brought him so much pain and suffering. He was the Perfect Soldier. He had to act like one. If he didn't, there would be hell to pay. So as the hate dwelled inside him like a fire, every time the hands touched him, the flames grew higher and brighter. Bigger and bigger until he couldn't keep it under control. And every time the fire within him grew so large that he thought he would break, the hands would come back once more and make sure he regained control over the ever growing fire of hate.  
  
After all, he did not matter. The mission mattered. They had tried to take away his feelings, his humanity, but they hadn't succeeded as well as they thought they had. He was just another instrument in their war, another toy in their bloody game. He meant nothing to them. He was nothing. Nothing but a soldier with a duty to fulfill and a mission to complete. The hands did not care how he did it, they did not care how they made him do it. The hands didn't care...  
  
The hands came back again. It was a new day, another test of skill, endurance, and tolerance. Just like every day before. With one difference. His only friend, his partner, roommate, had been gone a year now. He still didn't know if she was dead or alive, though he didn't know which would be worse for her.  
  
The hands were there again, strapping him to the cold metal slab of a table, attaching the wires to his skin, inserting the needles wherever they felt like it. The hands poked, prodded, gave, took; they hurt him. They hurt him in ways they would never understand. He may be the Perfect Soldier, but that didn't mean he couldn't be human at the same time. And now, all he wanted was to be human.  
  
He didn't care if he died. He didn't care if he was hurt, wounded, or punished so severely that he would have a hard time walking for days afterward. It would all happen eventually.  
  
He pushed away the hands, the stupid, uncaring hands that he hated so much. He tore away the scratchy restraints and kicked away the metal table. He broke the lamps, cut the wires, crashed and short circuited the machines and computers. He bit, scratched, bruised, cut and even killed some of the hands. He didn't care any more. Let them come and kill him, he didn't give a fuck about any one of them any more. He didn't give a damn about anyone anymore. They could all go to hell.  
  
Lights began blinking, sirens wailed and angry footsteps made their way to him. The soldiers grabbed him, hit him a couple times, and dragged him out to a room where they tied him securely to a chair in the center. He closed his eyes when they left, slamming the door behind them and most certainly leaving a few outside as guards.  
  
This is it, he thought as he heard angry shouts from the hallway. Here it comes. Doctor Jay stormed into the room and yelled obcenities at him, throwing stuff across the room, at him, the soldiers watching and laughing from the hallway.  
  
The professour grabbed his arm and pulled him up, commanding one of the young soldiers to untie the knots in the rope that binded him. He was led out of the room to the basement of the building. He sighed as he was thrown down onto the hard wooden table. Only once had he been here before, and it was because of a simple mistake. This was no mistake.  
  
He stood, bent over the table, as two of the young soldiers were called down and they stood on either side of him, each holding an arm as the professour whipped him. Closing his eyes, he could only think of one thing. As the whip cracked loudly throughout the empty basement, he smiled silently. Mission... completed...  
  
***  
  
Heero turned over, wincing. Kami looked up at him. His face was scrunched up, his brows furrowing, and he moaned. Concerned, Kami put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Nani (What)?! Nasu ja nai suru sore o... sore o ita ja nai watashi o (I didn't do it... it wasn't me)...!" Heero sat up panting.  
  
Heero looked down to see Kami staring at him wide eyed. "Niichan...?" She sat up in the bed and brushed his sleeve off his shoulder. Multiple scars ran up and down his arms, she knew that, she knew all but the one on his shoulder that pained him when she touched it. "Niichan..." Kami turned him gently and lifted his shirt so she could see his back.  
  
She gasped. Even she didn't have that many cuts and bruises. Heero's back was criss-crossed with scars. Gashes and burns, cuts and bruises. They were long and straight, short and ragged. She ran her fingers gently down his spine and tried not to notice that Heero flinched everytime the pad of her fingers touched one of the scars.  
  
Heero had his head hung and was making intricate designs in the quilt with his fingers. "Are, are these all from..." Kami moved to sit in front of him. "Niichan..."  
  
"Some." he replied softly, not looking at her.  
  
Kami's eyes grew wide again and she threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and sqeezing tightly. "Oh my gods, Niichan... I'm sorry..."  
  
Duo burst through the door, his gun out, and his hair no longer pulled back into a braid. "What happened? Where is he? What's the mission? I heard someone yell..."  
  
Kami and Heero stared at him. Blinking a few times, Kami turned back to face Heero and nuzzled his collarbone, still holding him. The former pilot of Wing Zero slowed his breathing back to normal and let his head drop down so his nose was in Kami's hair.  
  
"Um..." Duo shifted his weight akwardly. "Should I be going now...?" Heero looked up and glared at him through his dark brown bangs. Duo chuckled nervously. "Uh... yeah... I'll be out here..." He closed the door hurriedly and went back to his spot on the couch where he began brushing his long chestnut hair.  
  
Heero and Kami rocked each other back and forth, still wrapped in each other's arms. "Gods, I'm sorry, Niichan..." Kami murmured into his shoulder. "I would never have left if I had known..."  
  
"It's not your fault, imoto (little sister)... you couldn't have known..." Heero whispered back, his arms around her waist.  
  
"But... they hurt you, Niichan... because of me..." Heero pulled back and pushed her away slightly. She looked down at the blanket, but he put his index finger under her chin and forced her to look straight into his face. "Niichan..."  
  
Heero watched silently as she lost control of her hard, emotionless mask and let the tears make their way down her cheeks. She had always been so strong... Heero looked at her eyes. The defiant emerald eyes he once knew were lost in green orbs glazed with fear and laced with sorrow. "I waited... I hoped that you'd make it... I'm sorry..." Hot drops of saline water rolled down her cheeks and he flicked them away gently.  
  
"I thought you were dead... When, when they told me..." She looked up at him, not believing what he had said. He did care... Kami gasped abit and hurriedly wiped away the teardrops with the back of her hands.  
  
"Yameto (Stop)..." he said quietly.  
  
"Nani (What)?" She looked up at him questioningly.  
  
Heero said nothing but embraced her in his arms once again. Had he really been the one to make her lose control of her feelings, to break her mask? Not once had he ever seen her cry, and now, he felt so guilty. She was only fifteen, and had worried herself almost to death about him, because she thought all his troubles were because of her.  
  
Did he really care so much for her? This girl that he had met so long ago? If he did, how come he let this happen? She obviously cared for him even though she seemed just as confused about her feelings as he was about his. Heero rocked her back and forth as she continued to cry silently. Had he really been the one to make her cry?  
  
"Imoto (Little sister)..." He paused. They weren't related, they were just raised together. Grant, he was six, and she five, when they met, but they knew... so, why was it she called him oniichan and he her imoto?  
  
//"I don't have any other name."  
  
"Really? Oh, that's to bad. Could I call you Oniichan (Big brother), then?" she looked hopeful.  
  
"Naze (Why)?"  
  
"Well, you are older than me, right?" he nodded, "And, well, I used to have a brother, but, he might be dead. No one here tells me anything..." \\  
  
That was why: she wanted, needed, someone to take care of her. To watch over her, be there for her when she needed it... and out of all the people on Earth and the colonies, she had picked him... Heero hugged Kami tighter. He would accept that mission. And he would complete it.  
  
"Imoto (Little sister)... daijoubou desu ka (are you alright)...?" Heero ran his fingers through her long, dark hair.  
  
"Hai (Yes)... Rippa na (I'm fine)..." she mumbled back, gripping his neck tighter. Hadn't this begun as her trying to comfort him? How did he manage to flip the roles? Heero moved his hands down and lifted her shirt in the back. Kami had stopped sobbing but was still breathing heavily. He ran his hands over the scars on her back, then kept one hand on her tatoo.  
  
"Gomen nasai gozaimasu (I'm so sorry)..." Heero whispered as he traced the scars running up and down her back.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"This..." He fingered a long gash that made its way from her right shoulder to her left hip. He knew exactly where she had gotten it, though at the time, he thought her dead.  
  
"It's not your fault, Niichan..." Kami sighed as the door opened. Trowa stepped inside and looked at the ground, blushing.  
  
"I knocked..."  
  
"It's alright." Kami said before Heero could glare at him, and moved over, wiping her tears away quickly.  
  
"Uh... Sally needs your help with breakfast... and the dogs want to go out..." Trowa said.  
  
"Okay. Give me ten minutes." Kami replied and got up off the bed, crossing the room to a dresser and threw open some of the drawers. Trowa blushed again as she tossed a brassiere onto the bed. Before Heero could glare at him, he left quickly, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Ten minutes?"  
  
"I need to shower." Kami said, stripping. "You should, too, Niichan."  
  
Heero sat quietly. How had she gone so quickly from the broken little girl who needed him so bad to this strong young woman? She had put her mask back on, covered and buried her true feelings again, like they were trained to do, that was how. Heero sighed and got up.  
  
"You wouldn't happen to--" Kami tossed a pile of clothing at him and he looked at it, then shrugged. "Okay, I guess you do." Heero took off his clothes and followed her into the adjoining bathroom to shower quickly.  
  
***  
  
"What'd you want for breakfast?" Kami asked.  
  
"Pancakes!" Duo piped up loudly from in front of the television.  
  
"Whatever's fine with me," Quatre said polietly.  
  
"Rice."  
  
Kami and Sally looked at Wufei. He was trying to pull his hair back into a ponytail, but couldn't seem to grab all of the strands. Sally smirked and went to help him, leaving Kami in the kitchen to cook. She sighed. "Trowa? What do you want?"  
  
"Tea'll be fine."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay... Niichan?" Kami set the kettle on the stove top and went to get the rice from the cabinet. As she was pouring it into a pot, Heero siddled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist.  
  
"Oh, no. We are not going to do that again. Understand?" Heero smirked and wiggled his fingers. "No! Don't!" Kami shreiked. She turned and slapped him playfully. "I'm cooking!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"..." Kami opened a drawer and pulled out a large bowed knife. Heero backed off abit.  
  
"Ch'kusho!"  
  
Everyone turned to look at Wufei. Sally was blushing as he jumped up from his spot on the floor, waving his hand and cursing.  
  
"He snapped the rubber band..." Sally said.  
  
"I did not, woman! You stretched it out too far!"  
  
"You broke it, though!"  
  
Duo giggled but stopped when Wufei glared at him. Quatre was trying to hide a smile behind his hand while Trowa and Heero just watched emotionlessly. Kami sighed and set down the pot she had in her hand. She walked over to where Wufei was standing and, grabbing his arm, pulled him into the bathroom. She shut the door behind them, but the five people in the living room could still hear Wufei cursing and Kami telling him to hold still.  
  
After a few minutes, the two came back out, Wufei's hair pulled back in his usual ponytail. Trowa raised an eyebrow when he walked past, but Kami glared at him so he said nothing about the purple ribbon she had used to tie Wufei's hair back with.  
  
Kami returned to the kitchenette where she began chopping something. Sally came to help her while Heero and Trowa left for a few minutes. By the time they came back, breakfast was ready and they all sat down at the short, Japanese style-table to eat.  
  
***  
  
"What's this?" Duo asked, holding up some long strangly things with his fork.  
  
"Food." Kami said. Duo gave her a glare, intending to look at least somewhat angry, but on his face, it only looked comical. She giggled. "Noodles, Japanese style." she replied.  
  
The braided boy still looked weary of the food, but ate it anyways. Heero shook his head and picked up his chopsticks. Duo and Trowa were the only ones using forks at the table, though Quatre probably would have, too, if he hadn't been eating soup. Sally had left awhile ago to report back to Une, leaving out a few things of course.  
  
Wufei had turned on the radio awhile ago, and the station had a news break. The DJ was talking rapidly in Japanese, and everyone thought he was just rambling on about some band coming into town when they heard OZ. Everyone perked up, but only Kami and Heero could really follow it well enough to understand it.  
  
The two had paused in the same exact position, their chopsticks held just inches away from their open mouths, and sat staring at the radio across the room.  
  
"Hey, cool," Duo piped up. "You did that at the same time! Do it again!"  
  
"Honto ni (Really)?!" Kami gasped, ignoring him. Heero turned briefly to glare at her and they went back to gaping at whatever the deejay was saying.  
  
"Um... can someone please translate?" Duo asked loudly.  
  
"Damare (Quiet)!" Heero and Kami hissed. He blushed and quickly stuffed his mouth with whatever was in the sukiyaki and soba Kami had made for lunch.  
  
Trowa strained to understand what the rapid words coming out of the radio meant. Chi... strategy? Or wisdom? OZ had a good strategy? He couldn't think quickly enough to understand all of what the deejay had said.  
  
"Doko ni arimasu ka (Where is it)?" Heero asked Kami.  
  
"Downtown, near the restaraunt..." Her eyes grew wide as she realized she hadn't been to work in several days. She jumped up and moved towards the phone, but Heero grabbed her wrist. "Itai (That hurt)..."  
  
"Shh... kiku (listen)." Heero whispered. She cocked her head to the side and listened to the rest of the report before sinking to her knees.  
  
"Iie, iie... shinjitsu no ja nai (No, no... it's not true)... "  
  
"Kami..." Heero started, but she had fled into the bedroom, her face in her hands. Heero sighed, and started to get up, but Wufei asked what the news report had been about before he could leave.  
  
"OZ," he said, "The former OZ soldiers are regrouping and planning to attack soon. They took the blame for the safehouse..."  
  
Trowa looked up. "But they said chi..."  
  
"That word has many meanings... wisdom, strategy, intellect, blood... the new OZ group bombed a builing downtown; it was a massacre..."  
  
No one said anything for a moment. "Who...?" Quate asked quietly, breaking the silence.  
  
"Mostly children, it was a daycare." Heero replied, his Perfect Soldier persona taking over.  
  
Once again, it was completely quiet. "Injustice!" Wufei yelled suddenly, getting up. "We destroyed OZ a long time ago! This shouldn't have happened!"  
  
"The whole war shouldn't have happened, Wufei." Quatre said softly, stirring his soup. "Too many people were lost, and now, many more will, too. All because of this stupid war! We already fought! We've stained our hands with too much blood, and for what? For what?!" Quatre was crying now, his tears falling silently into his bowl, creating ripples in the liquid. "I don't want to fight again... there shouldn't be a reason to fight anymore... we created peace not two years ago, we can't go back into another war... not just yet..."  
  
"But peace is the product of war, Quatre," came a voice from off to the side. They turned to see Kami standing there with a bag. "If we want to keep peace, we must keep fighting." She unzipped the bag and tossed it to the floor, then began pulling stuff out of it. The tears she had shed not two minutes before were gone, replaced with solid determination.  
  
Trowa's eyes went wide as Kami pulled out an assortment of guns and other destuctive implements. Grenades, bombs, plastic explosives, handguns and high powered rifles; she even had more technical objects like lock picking sets and an H3 hacking component.  
  
"I've got the map to their headquarters. I have floor plans, blueprints, security codes, anything we'll need to break in." she said, stuffing a few .22 bullets in a rifle.  
  
"Where is it?" Heero asked before anyone could ask how she got all the stuff so fast or what she was doing with the semi-automatic machine gun that was laying on the floor at her feet.  
  
"... L1..." Kami answered quietly, not as enthused as she was before.  
  
***  
  
"So, we'll go in through here," Wufei said, dragging his finger across the map they had spread out on the table. "Then Trowa, you, Quatre, and Kami can split up from the rest of us here..."  
  
Quatre folded his arms. "No." he said stubbornly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said no. I'm not going."  
  
"But... why?" Trowa asked. The blond hadn't said anything when they were figuring out the teams...  
  
"Don't you see? This will only bring more sorrow! To us, to the soldiers we kill, their families. They haven't taken over anything, we're not on the verge of war yet!"  
  
"Quatre," Kami interjected. She was standing at the sink, washing the dishes from lunch. "If we don't do this, there will be alot more sorrow in this world. You don't consider an entire daycare blown away in a split second much damage? That alone brings much more sadness and grief than what we'll cause going into a small military base like this one. Besides, if we don't do this, there will be more bombings like this. And all I can say about the soldiers... well, they should have thought about that before they joined the military and decided to be with OZ."  
  
Quatre didn't say anything, instead he thought about what she said. "She's right, Quatre," Trowa said. "If we don't do this now, another war could break out."  
  
The Arabian sat silent for a few more minutes, his bottom lip trembling. "Alright... but, no Gundams, or even suits for that matter."  
  
"The Gundams were all destroyed, and we wouldn't be able to make one in the time we have," Duo said. "And we destroyed all of OZ's suits before that, so..." he trailed off, looking at Kami. She didn't know they were pilots, yet, did she?  
  
"They probably don't have very many suits if they've just now started to regroup." she said simply, "We might be able to destroy them all when we destroy the base." She didn't say anything about the Gundam pilots. They took that as a good sign and went back to figuring out the routes they'd take.  
  
***  
  
Trowa watched Kami silently as Quatre took his turn at chess. She was still in the kitchenette, washing and cleaning. She wasn't meant to be soldier, he thought as Heero came back from wherever he had left to and began talking to her in hushed Japanese. She was shaking her head and mumbling, while still scrubbing the counter down. He was speaking softly, but harshly at the same time.  
  
"Korose sono bakayaro (I'll kill that bastard)!" Kami said loudly. Heero said something else and she answered defiantly, "Jigoku oyaji nanka kankei naa (Who the hell cares about him)?!"  
  
Trowa wondered what they were talking about; the two had so many secrets together. They were both clearly upset about something, most likely whatever they had heard on the radio, and Kami didn't seem to be taking it too well. She was cursing at Heero, something she hadn't done before, to his knowledge at least.  
  
"Trowa, it's your turn," Quatre said politely, though he had been waiting for a few minutes.  
  
"Yes, of course," he answered, absent-mindedly, and moved his queen a few places to the right before turning back towards the kitchen. Heero was rocking Kami back and forth gently, whispering in her ear. Heero looked up, and their eyes met for a split second before Heero went back to murmuring in Kami's ear. Trowa sighed and waited for Quatre to take his turn.  
  
***  
  
Heero walked into the bedroom. Everyone was sleeping out in the living room - Duo on the sofa, Wufei in the rocking chair, Quatre in the recliner, and Trowa on the floor. Kami and Heero had grabbed the bed again, and she was already sleeping by the time Heero came in.  
  
She had kicked the sheets away, but managed to hold onto a corner. Kami was clutching that to her chest with both hands. As Heero went to crawl into bed, he noticed that she was sleeping away from the door. Lately, it had been he who slept away from the door.  
  
At L1, she had always slept away from the door. Always. Since they had met up again, here on Earth, he was the one who had been sleeping away from the door. It was all another mystery of their past, only they would know why. Heero slipped in underneath the sheets and tried to fall asleep. He had a bad feeling about this, the new mission.  
  
Kami turned over, still clutching the corner of the sheet. She was sweating and mumbling incoherent words. Heero sighed and got up. He walked to the other side of the bed and pushed her over so she was on the side he was just on. He crawled in and closed his eyes. Kami had stopped tossing and turning, but the foreboding feeling he had was still there.  
  
***  
  
"I'm bored!" Duo whined.  
  
Kami sighed and picked up an apple off the table, and stuffed it in his mouth. She recieved a glare from the American, but threatened, "Next time, it'll be the braid."  
  
Amazingly, Duo didn't comment. Satisfied, Kami went back to talking with Heero who was typing away on a laptop. The six of them had been on the Preventer shuttle for about an hour, with a few more still to go before they reached the L1 colony cluster. They had left the apartment and Kami's pets under Sally's care and had managed to gain access to a small cottage- type house on L1 in case something went wrong.  
  
The cottage, Kami had explained, was a summer house for an elderly couple, the Namuris, so they couldn't wreck it. Duo had snickered at this, but shut up when everyone else glared.  
  
Wufei was pacing around in small circles, mumbling about the injustice of being there, though everyone doubted it had anything to do with fighting again. Duo had gotten on everyone's nerves in the past hour, but especially Wufei's.  
  
Quatre was playing solitare with a set of marbles he had gotten at the airport. How he got them to stay and not roll around the chess board he had was something all of them wondered about. Trowa was just staring out into space through a small window. He had said next to nothing the whole time they were in the shuttle and it was clear that he probably wouldn't say anything for awhile.  
  
"Damn it!" Heero slammed his fist on the table, causing everyone to jump.  
  
"Oh, shit..." Kami said, cussing for the first time in English.  
  
"What's wrong?" Quatre asked.  
  
"That Peacecraft girl," Kami said, "Relena, she's there."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"On L1. She has a meeting with someone in a building across the street from the base."  
  
"Oh, crap." Duo looked at the blond, amazed.  
  
"Did you just swear?" he asked.  
  
The blond looked confused for a moment. Then his eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. "No! No, I didn't... I said crud, I said crud...!"  
  
Duo grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Good job, buddy."  
  
"Duo..." Heero and Kami said warningly. He sat back down and took a bite out of the apple. Wufei sighed and sat down, too.  
  
"This whole thing smells fishy." he growled. "There being only one base, Relena, a small number of mobile suits. It sounds like a trap."  
  
"I know," Trowa said in his quiet voice, still staring out the window. "But if it is, we still have to go. Otherwise another war will break out."  
  
"Because of a handful of soldiers living in the past?" Wufei asked, standing up.  
  
"Yes." Kami replied softly, looking up from the computer. "Because of the few soldiers living in the past, we must do this. We have to infiltrate the base, destroy it and any weapons in it or belonging to it, find the Peacecraft girl and get her out of there, and then..." she trailed off, looking at Heero. Her voice cracked, but she finished anyway, "Then we find and kill Drewmaud."  
  
Everyone except Heero looked at her. "Drewmaud?" Quatre asked softly, still not believing he had just swore, but remembered the 'incident' concerning him, Kami and Drewmaud.  
  
"Yes." Kami sat down next to him. "He, I knew him before... He's the only survivor of a bombing, in 192 on L1..."  
  
"Yes, I remember hearing about that, though I had heard there were no survivors." Wufei said. "But what is your point, woman?"  
  
"He was the reason the bombing occured... he survived and is now the leader of the regrouping OZ soldiers..."  
  
Everyone stayed silent for a moment. "You know, no one ever found out who the bomber was..." Trowa replied quietly.  
  
"Now you know..." Kami whispered. Everyone looked at her surprised. Heero got up and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"If anyone has anything against my sister's judgement, you'll answer to me." he warned, glaring at everyone. Kami reached up and hugged him akwardly.  
  
"Come on," she said cheerfully, getting up. "We only have two hours until we land. We best make good use of the time and rest. It's no good being tired when you're surrounded by soldiers with guns." The shuttle had been specially accomodated for long time traveling, and had tiny rooms with cots.  
  
Kami and Heero left, followed by Duo, who still had the apple. Trowa sighed, and rose from his seat. "She's right. We should get some rest." he said. Quatre got up, too, putting his set of marbles back in the bag.  
  
"A woman..." Wufei mumbled, "It was a woman who destroyed the government building... nonsense... it couldn't have been..." He looked up at Trowa, who was leaving as well. "Could it?"  
  
Trowa paused, thinking for a moment. "Yes." he said finally. "I think that Kami-san could be the bomber, and I completely agree with whatever her reasons were for doing so." He turned and made his way to an empty room. Quatre stopped, though, before leaving Wufei alone.  
  
"You know, Fei-kun, Miss Kami isn't all that bad," he said. "Sure, she has some secrets, but we all do, and I don't think it's fair to her if you doubt her skills because she's a girl. She's the same age as you are." With that said, Quatre left.  
  
Wufei sighed. She was a woman, and would always be a woman. Therefore, she would be treated like a woman, he thought. Wufei got up and went to the only room left to get some sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Niichan..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why did you call me your sister?" Kami asked as she sat on the cot.  
  
Heero sat down next to her. Hesitating, he answered, "The same reason you call me your brother." Kami looked at him. "That's how I see you," he said and laid down. Kami smiled and put her head down next his his.  
  
"Thank you..." she whispered before falling asleep.  
  
***  
  
"Alright, here we go..." Kami whispered. Duo kicked open the door and they filed in. A couple of soldiers were standing there, and were knocked out expertly by Wufei and Trowa.  
  
Checking to make sure there weren't any other guards, the six split into two groups. Trowa, Quatre, and Kami headed off down a hallway to hack into the computer command files, to make sure there weren't any other bases, and Heero, Duo, and Wufei walked down the opposite corridor, placing bombs every so many yards. Their objective was to basically blow the place up.  
  
The base seemed unusually deserted. Only a few unlucky soldiers came across the two groups and it was worrying all of them.  
  
"There should be more soldiers, shouldn't there?" Quatre asked.  
  
"It's a small base, maybe they only work here," Kami suggested.  
  
***  
  
"I don't like this, Heero..." Duo said.  
  
"Will you shut up, Maxwell?" Wufei growled. "Why must you chatter incessantly with yourself?"  
  
"I wasn't talking to myself. I was talking to Heero." Duo retorted, although talking to Heero was pretty much the same thing as talking to yourself. Or a wall.  
  
Heero turned to face the soldier they had bound, gagged, and taken hostage on their rounds and was being held by Wufei. Ripping off the duct tape so the man could speak, Heero growled, "Where is everyone?"  
  
The soldier, young and dark, answered shakily, "Across the street... at a meeting for the boss..."  
  
"Drewmaud?" Heero asked, pointing his gun between the man's eyes.  
  
"Lisantho? Yes, yes... and the one girl, Peacecraft, Relena Peacecraft. The boss is meeting with her this afternoon..." Before he could say more, Heero slapped the piece of tape back onto his mouth and jerked his head to the side. Wufei tossed the man to the side of the hallway, still tied and unable to speak.  
  
"Let's go." Heero growled and started down the corridor.  
  
***  
  
"We've still got a couple bombs left," Duo said. They had all met up again a few moments ago and were discussing what to do since they couldn't carry out their plan. They had assumed Drewmaud would be there, and now with Relena to worry about...  
  
"I'll stay and help Duo place the extra bombs," Quatre volunteered. "That way, Miss Kami and Heero could go and get Miss Relena, and Trowa and Wufei could back us both up if anything goes wrong."  
  
Heero nodded. "I'll help get Relena." Trowa said suddenly. "The OZ personell should be there, so you'll need an extra hand." he explained.  
  
"I think," Duo piped up, "That me 'n' Quatre can handle things by ourselves."  
  
Wufei growled. "Must I be stuck with Maxwell again?"  
  
"No," Kami said, sighing. "You can go and stay at the house for now. In case we need back up." She handed him a slip of paper and he looked at it. There was an address, a map, and a phone number written in Kami's sketchy handwriting. A small brass key was taped to the note as well.  
  
"Alright then," Duo said cheerfully, "Let's go!" He grabbed Quatre by the arm and pulled the blond down the hallway.  
  
Kami snorted. "A little trigger-happy?" Heero cocked his gun in reply. "Not as much as you or I, but still..." Kami added. This time, the Japanese boy smirked.  
  
Trowa shook his head then saluted to Wufei and followed the two out the building. "The van's parked in the back." he said, reffering to the black eight passenger they had borrowed from a Preventer.  
  
"I'll walk." Wufei started down the same hallway Duo and Quatre had gone.  
  
***  
  
A gunshot rang out and the wood on the doorframe shattered. Kami leaned back to avoid being hit by one the the inch long splinters that flew up.  
  
"You missed." she said sarcastically. Heero glared at her, and then kicked the soldier in the stomach. The uniformed man doubled over and crumpled to the floor when the butt of Heero's gun hit the back of his neck.  
  
"Oh well." he answered. His gun was empty now, and he didn't have anymore bullets so he dropped it on the ground. Kami gave a wry smile and smacked another soldier in the shoulder. He stumbled back and and she side-kicked him in the chest. The soldier slid slowly down the wall to remain unmoving on the floor. Trowa backhanded the soldier who was aiming at Heero and then knocked her out.  
  
"Hurry..." Kami said as she ran into the room she had just kicked-in the door to. Heero disposed of the last guard and ran in after her. Trowa went through another doorway, looking for Relena, since he knew that Kami and Heero weren't thinking about the princess just then.  
  
***  
  
Heero opened the door slowly and the two paused, waiting for a band of soldiers to attack. Instead came a hearty greeting from inside the room.  
  
"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" Kami flinched visibly at the sound of Drewmaud's voice. "Come in, you two. Don't just stand there like fools."  
  
The two stepped in the dark room that instantly lit up as they reached the middle of the room. Drewmaud was sitting in a brown folding chair facing Relena who was tied to another chair.  
  
"Heero!" cried out the princess.  
  
"Relena..." Kami would have looked between the two but she was too busy glaring at the sandy haired man.  
  
"Aka! My, have you grown..." His smile was twisted and his eyes were still the ice blue daggers Kami remembered. She stormed over to stand in front of him.  
  
"My name is not aka." She clipped him one good and he flipped over in the chair. Heero untied Relena as the two fought.  
  
"Get out of here." he said, "Now."  
  
"But Heero..."  
  
"I said get out of here." he replied harshly. She paused for a moment before running towards the door, but found it locked. She struggled to get it open, but finally gave up. Relena turned to see Heero fighting with Drewmaud now.  
  
Kami got off the floor and was startled to see Relena in front of her. "The door's locked," she said. "I can't get out."  
  
Kami glanced at Heero who had managed to kick Drewmaud's gun away. She sighed, grabbed Relena's arm, and pulled her to the door. Kicking it in wouldn't work, she thought. She'd have to pick it.  
  
After a few minutes, she got the tumblers to turn but there were two wires inside the lock that she didn't know what would do if she opened the door. So she tried cutting through them. "Hurry," Relena whispered. "I think I smell smoke."  
  
Kami paused. The girl was right. Someone had started a fire. And she was sure it hadn't been Duo and Quatre, they should have gone to the house to wait with Wufei. Heero had the dentonator. She looked back and caught the Peacecraft girl before she fell.  
  
"Miss Peacecraft?" The girl had blood trailing down her left arm from what looked like a bullet wound. Kami looked up. Heero and and Dremaud were still fighting. Drewmaud's gun was lying on the ground in a corner, smoking. Gently, she set the girl's body on the ground. Getting up, she heard a gasp. She turned.  
  
Heero was doubled over, Drewmaud holding his shoulders so he wouldn't fall. The blond sneered and twisted the knife a full one-eighty degrees. Kami felt like she was going to be sick as he pulled the knife away from Heero's side and let go of his shoulders. The Japanese boy fell to the floor, blood streaming from the injury.  
  
A switchblade in her hand, Kami leapt onto Drewmaud's back. He was so startled he dropped the knife. She wrapped on arm around his neck and pulled back, forcing him to walk backwards. "Aka, come on," he said. "He's dead now, you don't need to protect him."  
  
"Don't call me aka, Drewmaud. I'm not your baby. Never was and never will." Drewmaud back up into a wall.  
  
"It seems you're stuck, Aka, between a two hard places and a rock."  
  
"I don't think so." She flipped open the switchblade and held it to his throat. "I told you I would kill you someday, Drewmaud. This is that day." She ran the blade across his neck, drawing a thin line of blood, but he rammed her against the wall before it could go too deep.  
  
Kami went limp and he threw her off to the side. He went to get his knife, but Kami kicked him in the shin and managed to crawl over to the knife before he got to it. She held the two knives out like one would swords and got up carefully.  
  
"Aka..." Drewmaud stood up, took his gun and pointed it at Relena, who was still unconscious. "I'd suggest putting those down if you want her to live."  
  
Kami glared at him. "Damn you," she said as she dropped the knives. He smirked as they clattered to the ground.  
  
"Thank you." He shifted his aim.  
  
"Go ahead." Kami said. Drewmaud raised an eyebrow, still smirking, and then began walking towards Kami, the gun pointed at her.  
  
"I think I will." He put the barrel up to her forehead and tightened his finger around the trigger. Kami dropped to the floor all of a sudden, grabbed her switchblade, and stood again, ramming the knife up into his stomach, the handle poking out just below his ribcage. Drewmaud dropped the gun.  
  
Kami pulled the blade out and the blond fell to the floor. "Good night, Drewmaud." she said as she tossed the bloody knife down next to him. The door fell in, narrowly missing Relena. Then the ceiling started to cave in.  
  
Kami grabbed Heero's unconscious body and dragged him towards the door. The fire was starting to demolish the whole building. A piece of the wall fell in, ontop of the three. Kami managed to dig her way out, pulling Heero from underneath the rubble as well.  
  
Where was Relena? Kami searched, and found the princess, but the fire was starting to come in the room. The lights had already gone out, and she could hear the support beams whining, giving under the weight of the debris that kept falling. The smoke was making it even harder to see and breathe now.  
  
Kami guessed she could make it out with a few seconds to spare before the building collasped, but she had to get Heero and Relena out, too. She didn't think she could carry both. Kami realized she would have to choose between them. She would have to choose who would live and who would die...  
  
Kami looked between the two. Who should she save? The boy she had been raised with, or the former queen of Earth? Fortunately, she didn't have to decide because Trowa rushed in.  
  
"Kami-san!"  
  
"Help me, Trowa, please." He nodded and began unpiling the wooden beams ontop of Relena's unconcious body. Kami hoisted up Heero's body and half dragged him out of the room. The fire was out of control now, a raging inferno that leapt up in untimed intervals. The flames licked and sputtered around the clown. Trowa was burned several times lifting up the hot metal pieces obstructing him from taking Relena to safety.  
  
Kami ran in, breathing heavily. "Hurry, Trowa, the fire... it's growing." She helped him move the last pillar and he gathered the Peaceraft girl in his arms.  
  
"Where's Heero?"  
  
"I left him at the top of the steps. I had trouble getting there, and because the fire isn't lessening, I thought you would have a harder time." Kami shouted over the roar of the sirens outside.  
  
On their way to the decending staircase, they had to jump over some pools of flames, passing Relena's body back and forth to cross some of the debris. Once they got to the staircase, Kami picked up Heero's unconsious body and the two made their way carefully down the broken steps.  
  
Fortunately, the fire hadn't yet gotten to the wooden stairs, but the heat and the weight of the debris that had fallen on it before had caused some of the steps to crack, break, and even fall from their position.  
  
As soon as the two reached the bottom, Trowa paused. "Hang on a minute," he said, setting Relena down. Kami let Heero's limp body slid to the tile floor as well, taking a tiny break before they rushed out the flaming double doors and onto the front lawn where the other pilots and an ambulance were waiting.  
  
As a paramedic took Relena from his arms, Trowa collapsed to his knees. Quatre rushed over to him, thankful he was alive. "I'm alright, Quatre," Trowa said quietly, "I just need to catch my breath."  
  
Because there was only one ambulance there, Kami let them take the Peacecraft. She and Duo got Heero into the van and waited for Quatre and Trowa to appear before gunning the engine and racing to the safe house Kami had managed to get. Wufei was already there, and Quatre called him on the car phone to tell him what happened. Wufei swore when he heard about their predictament. Heero was unconcious and wounded, Trowa was in pretty bad shape, and Kami wasn't talking to anyone.  
  
"Are you alright, Miss Kami?" Quatre asked shortly after he hung up with Wufei.  
  
"Hn..." She brushed her black bangs out of her face and continued breaking every speed limit in the colony. Quatre was about to ask her again, but a soft no from Trowa silenced him. Duo managed to find the detonator on Heero's unconscious body and pressed the button. The base exploded and the streets were littered with sparks. Kami had no trouble steering the van away from the flying debris, but some of the nearby trees weren't so lucky and the branches were aflame within seconds.  
  
The tires of the van squealed to a halt in front of the house where Wufei was waiting. He jumped off the porch step and ran towards them while Quatre threw open the door and jumped out. Duo passed him Heero's limp figure then crawled out himself and helped Trowa out. Duo had surprisingly not said very much since they had run out of the building. Wufei ushered them into the house, but paused as he realized Kami wasn't with them.  
  
Wufei went back up to the truck and opened the driver's door. Kami had her head on her arms, which were crossed ontop of the steering wheel. "Come on, woman," he said, tugging at her shirt. It wasn't a command, instead, it was quiet and apologetic.  
  
Kami sighed and got out, holding onto Wufei's shoulder tightly as she climbed down. Her legs felt like jelly and her vision was swimming around. Wufei helped her to the door, not saying anything except a few soft-spoken comments like 'watch your step'.  
  
Kami slumped into the reclining chair and buried her face in her hands as Wufei ran into the bedroom where Quatre and Duo had taken Heero. The girl didn't even notice when the three of them rushed past her, looking for things. All she could think about was Drewmaud.  
  
He wasn't dead, after all. He had made it out of the bombing alive, had taken Relena hostage, and stabbed Heero... she couldn't get the scene out of her head. The knife, all the blood... all that precious blood... Heero's body going limp, falling to the floor. The knife in her hand... It was all in slow motion. She had felt so helpless... her body had frozen, refused to move. It was too late now, the girl, Relena, was probably dead now, and Heero...  
  
"Miss Kami..."  
  
She looked up to see Quatre peering down at her, concerned. "Miss Kami, uh, you're sort of covered in blood..." He swallowed.  
  
Kami looked down. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and her jeans were torn and singed. Her shirt, too, was in tatters and stiff from all the drying blood that was on it. Kami sighed and allowed Quatre to help her sit up.  
  
He ran a warm, wet washrag across her cuts and burns, and bandaged them all up as best as he could. Kami changed into a clean outfit in the bathroom while Quatre checked in on Trowa, who had fallen asleep on a bed in the other bedroom.  
  
Kami snuck into the bedroom she had seen Wufei go into. She stood there in the doorway watching Duo and Wufei work diligently over the unconcious form on the bed. Heero's shirt was in the bathroom sink, soaking; she had seen it when she changed. The soapy water was pink from the blood.  
  
Kami left the two trying to stop the excessive bleeding coming from Heero's side. She walked around the house, circling around aimlessly until Quatre came back out. He smiled sadly, giving her a quick but gentle hug.  
  
"It's alright," he said, "It's all going to be okay."  
  
"I hope you're right..." They sat on the sofa and stayed there, deciding silently that they would wait until Wufei or Duo came out. After a few minutes, they heard Duo yell.  
  
"No, wait!" Kami and Quatre jumped up at the sound of something crashing. "Heero! It's just us, man!"  
  
"Niichan..." Before Quatre could grab her arm, Kami rushed into the bedroom.  
  
Wufei was trying hold down a thrashing Heero while Duo got up off the floor. Kami ran over to the bed and grabbed Heero's arms, sitting on the edge. "Niichan... Niichan... Damare... yoroshii... Anata daijoubou desu (Quiet... it's alright... You're okay)..." she whispered.  
  
Heero stopped thrashing. He laid there, breathing heavily. "I-imoto (Little sister)?"  
  
"I'm here." She leaned forward so he could see her without having to move. She could hear Quatre helping Duo up and asking him what had happened.  
  
"I don't know," the braided boy replied, holding his head. "He just woke up suddenly and got this really wild look in his eyes and started flailing."  
  
"Niichan..." Kami asked softly. He looked up at her.  
  
"Nani desu ka (What is it)?"  
  
"Daijoubou desu ka? Odoroki miru (Are you alright? You look scared)..." Kami whispered.  
  
"... Gomen (Sorry)..." Kami smiled sadly and looked back at Wufei, who was watching quietly. She nodded and went back to talking to Heero.  
  
"Kibun ga warui desu ka (Do you feel bad)?"  
  
"Iie, jissai ni jai nai (No, not really)." Heero answered quietly. Wufei came up, and looked questioningly at Kami, who looked at Heero. He glanced at Wufei, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else..." Wufei nodded, accepting the apology, and wiped his arm with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.  
  
"Drewmaud?" Kami asked, "Ima iru shinde (He is dead now)," she said simply. Wufei slipped the needle into his arm, and emptied its contents before drawing it back out. "Hitsuyo anata nemutte... yo ni anata kenko dekiru (We need you asleep... so you can heal)..." she explained to him. She was trying to choose words one would use when talking to a small child because Heero didn't seem to be completely in reality. He looked out of it, and didn't seem to be understanding that much of what was going on.  
  
Heero nodded dumbly, and closed his glazed-over eyes, waiting for the sedative to work. Kami sighed, and gripped his hand tightly as his breathing got deeper. Wufei immediately started cleaning out the gash in his stomach again, the deep one that Drewmaud had given to him. Quatre left suddenly, not even closing the door behind him. Duo closed it for him, though, and came over to help Wufei stitch up the wound.  
  
The American had to run out to get clean warm water at least twice because the gash was so deep it kept bleeding. Kami sat and watched silently, helping out a little when she could, but mostly keeping to herself. She never let go of Heero's hand, even after Wufei and Duo finished wrapping the bandages around his waist.  
  
Kami laid down next to Heero on the bed, not caring that the sheets were bloody. Wufei just sighed and mumbled something about sentimatility in women and left. Duo smirked at the two before leaving. "You're a lucky guy to have gal like that, Yuy." he whispered and shut the door quietly.  
  
***  
  
"C'mon, Kami..." Duo poked her gently in the shoulder. "It's time to eat..."  
  
"Mmh..." Kami turned over. Duo sighed and sat back on his heels. She had fallen asleep on the couch right after bandaging Trowa up. It had been several hours now, and she hadn't moved from her sprawled out position on the sofa even for dinner.  
  
"Kami... come on..."  
  
"Go 'way..." came a muffled reply.  
  
"No," he said stubbornly, "You gotta eat."  
  
"No, I don't... go 'way."  
  
"Kami..." Duo stopped when Quatre put his hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Just leave her alone for a little while, Duo," the blond said. The American sighed and got up, following Quatre to the bedroom they were sharing. Wufei was already snoring lightly in the bed next to Heero's, and Trowa had fallen asleep on the porch swing outside.  
  
***  
  
Trowa woke up in the darkness. It was hard to believe that such a busy place like L1 would actually have such quiet nights. Only the kitchen light was on, so he figured everyone had already gone to bed.  
  
He got up, gingerly because he was still sore from his own injuries, and went back inside. Figuring the four beds were already taken, he slumped down on the couch. The blanket laying across the couch rustled a bit and he jumped up in surprise. Trowa realized it was Kami when she mumbled her nickname for Heero under her breath.  
  
That's right, he thought, there's six of us now. Trowa sat back down at the end of the couch, right next to the arm, and crossed his arms over his chest. As he fell asleep, he felt Kami move closer towards him.  
  
***  
  
"Woman... get up..." Wufei poked the girl in the shoulder gingerly. She wasn't moving, save the motion of her chest telling him she was still breathing. "Woman..." he growled.  
  
"Mmh?"  
  
"Get up." Kami just rolled over. Wufei winced. He had been up for a few hours now, and when walking past, he had found Trowa and Kami sleeping on the couch. The clown was sitting straight up, his shoulders slouched, arms across his chest and head down. Kami, on the other hand, was laying across the whole couch, tightly wrapped in a blanket, and using Trowa's leg as a pillow. By turning over, she had managed to wedge her head between his stomach and his thigh.  
  
"Woman..." he growled again. Trowa's head came up, and his shoulders went back.  
  
"Wufei..."  
  
The Chinese boy sighed heavily. He hadn't wanted to wake up the clown, just the girl. "She..." He waved at Kami, not knowing what to say.  
  
Trowa looked down and almost smiled. "It's alright, Wufei," He unfolded his arms and placed a hand on Kami's shoulder. She curled up into a ball, still under the blanket, leaving room for Trowa to move. "What time is it?"  
  
"Nine." Wufei replied, standing up. Trowa nodded and stood.  
  
"Is anyone else up?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I'd better start breakfast anyway." Trowa said and walked to the kitchen. Wufei sighed, looking at the girl and followed him.  
  
"I'm going to the Preventers building," he said, "We gotta get out of here as soon as possible." Trowa nodded.  
  
"The keys are on the fireplace, I think." Wufei grumbled a thanks and left, making sure to slam to the door on his way out.  
  
***  
  
"I'll sleep on the couch again tonight," Trowa said.  
  
"'Kay!" Duo bounded out of the room to grab a bed.  
  
"I don't know, Trowa..." Quatre began. "I mean, you slept there already... I think we should take turns..."  
  
"I'll be alright, Quatre." Trowa assured him. The blond nodded, still not completely giving up, and went off to see which bed Duo left open. Wufei glared at the tall boy.  
  
"It's the girl, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
Trowa stared straight back at him. "It was an offer that everyone accepted. Unless you would like to sleep on the couch tonight, I'll be in the living room." He stood up and went over to the couch, leaving Wufei sitting alone in the dining room slash kitchen. The Chinese boy sighed and headed to the bedroom he was sharing with Heero.  
  
***  
  
Kami was still wrapped up in the blanket on the couch. She hadn't gotten up for anything. She had barely moved except to reach out and throw something at Duo when he poked her too hard. Trowa sat down in the same position he had slept in the night before.  
  
The blanket rustled and a black haired head popped out. "Trowa?" she called quietly.  
  
"What is it, Kami-san?" he asked softly.  
  
"Are you sleeping here again?" Kami's voice was quiet and muffled. He nodded.  
  
"Would you prefer someone else?" She shook her head and moved back further down in the blanket. Trowa shook his head, a tiny smile on his face, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Goodnight, Kami-san." he said.  
  
There was no immediate answer. After a few moments, though, he heard her whisper, "Oyasimi nasai (Good night)." Trowa closed his eyes and fell asleep, a small smile on his passive face.  
  
***  
  
Kami woke up in the dark. It was always so dark, so cold, when she woke up. She buried herself further underneath the blanket, curling into a ball. A gentle hand reached out and rested on her shoulder. Her muscles tensed but when the hand pulled her gently up to it's warm body, she relaxed a little.  
  
Two arms wrapped themselves around her small, shivering form and hugged her tightly. "Don't leave me..." she whispered. The arms seemed to pause, but then gripped her more tightly. "It's so dark... so cold..." Kami felt one of the arms move away.  
  
"Don't leave me alone... I don't want to be alone again..." The arm returned and she was pulled closer to the warm wall she was already up against.  
  
***  
  
Trowa looked down at the shivering bundle in his lap. Kami had been mumbling things under her breath and when he went to turn on the lamp on the nearby table, she had asked him to stay.  
  
Trowa didn't know what to do, but remembered what Heero had done before. He gathered her shaking body in his lap and rocked gently. Kami went limp and her whispered nothings ceased. Trowa didn't know why, but he smiled. He ran his hand through her hair, gently untangling the knots as he did so. Even in the dark, he could see the green streak in the black mess.  
  
Trowa sat that way for seemingly hours, his hand in Kami's hair, the other keeping her close to him. She seemed so small wrapped up in the blanket on his lap. During the time he spent there, sitting with the sleeping girl in his lap, Trowa thought about her. She seemed to reflect a trait from all of them. She had Quatre's kindness and generosity, Duo's out-going, cheerful personality. Like Wufei, she felt strongly about what she believed in, and her instincts and skills matched those of Heero's. Trowa cocked his head. What was it that made him have something in common with the fifteen year old girl? Eyes...  
  
He realized they had the same eyes. Not only were the colours similar, but the way they looked at you were remarkably similar as well. Trowa thought about all the times he had stood in front of the mirror, staring at himself. His eyes seemed to stare back at him, in a deep, haunted looking way. Kami's were like that too. Like the one saying, their eyes reflected themselves; they were the windows to their pasts. Trowa wore many masks, trying to hide himself underneath them all. His eyes seemed to be the last and most important of all his masks. Nothing could get by his observant sight, and if it did... Trowa shook his head. He had cried once, and only once, because his masks had been penetrated.  
  
Was Kami the same? Yes, Trowa thought. She hides behind her eyes. She buried her past, her true feelings, behind them, and yet, as hard as she tried, they would always betray her. Like himself. Trowa didn't smile that often, but one always knew he was happy by the glimmer in his eyes. He didn't need to turn up the sides of his mouth to show someone he was happy; his eyes said it clearly long before he would ever have to. Like Kami's.  
  
She had tried so hard to keep to herself at first, but she was glad she now had people to talk to, people who understood. She wanted to protect them from her secrets, and had failed, but she wasn't exactly upset. He saw it in her eyes. They told him everything. When she got mad, they would narrow; sad, and they would glisten. Her eyes grew large if she was afraid or acting innocent, darken if she became grim. They would light up when Heero walked in the room, twinkle when she was happy. But there was always a sparkle in her eyes, a flame that would never burn out, and a passion that made it seem as if smiling was the only thing possible.  
  
Trowa smiled again, a real one, and held her closer to him than before. Kami gave a tiny whimper and snuggled further within the blanket. Trowa closed his eyes. He could get use to this. He could get use to this very nicely.  
  
***  
  
[Chapter Four Finished]  
  
[Chapter Five Teaser: "Stop being so damn stubborn! Even you can show a little weakness once in a while, you know." Trowa said. "Stop trying to be such a hero."]  
  
***  
  
A/N: Someone, I'll not say who, suggested (well, more like requested, but okay...) that I pair Trowa with Kami. They seem like a cute couple, don'cha think? But I promise it's just going to be a close friendship. No hentai allowed, peeps.  
  
***  
  
A/N: FHY, yes, I know and I don't watch Saint Seiya, so no...  
  
***  
  
A/N: Mandarin is the Chinese language... in case you guys were wondering. I believe Sally grew up in China, so that's why she would probably know the language. As for Kami... well, you'll just have to find out ^^  
  
*** 


	5. Chapter Five

Connections Chapter Five Diviana ~~~ [Chapter Flashback: The base was destroyed, Relena was taken to the hospital, and the pilots, including Kami, go to a small house nearby on L1.] ***  
  
Duo sighed and got up from his position in front of the couch, walked to the kitchen, and raided the almost-empty fridge. It had been almost a week since the infiltration of the regrouping OZ base, and Kami was still on the couch. She never moved from under the thick blanket except for two things. If Trowa asked her to, in his silent way, she would curl up into a ball. If Duo annoyed her too much, her arm would reach out and throw things at him, but that was all.  
  
Quatre had made himself the honorary housekeeper again, and would go into cleaning fits, only stopping when he thought there was absolutely no speck of dust to be found. Then he would curl up on one end of the couch, Kami's socked feet in his lap, and read thick books about who-knew-what. Trowa had been leaving the house for several days, going early in the morning and returning late at night, never saying where he had been or what he had been doing.  
  
Wufei was in an uncharacteristicly foul mood. True, he was almost always angry at everything, but he seemed sulky and depressed more than he did upset or irked. He often spent time away from the house as well, though he just sat in the hammock in the backyard, unlike Trowa, who actually left town.  
  
Heero was beginning to recover, slowly, but still recovering. He couldn't sit straight like he was trained to, and had to slouch or lean backwards if he was going to sit. Most times, he just lay there in his bed, staring at the ceiling, but he liked walking around the room slowly as well. The only bad thing with that was he lost his breath too quickly, no matter how slow he went. Heero had never been exactly social, but he seemed even more distant than he usually did.  
  
And Duo, he was just bored. Very bored.  
  
Quatre had caught him the other day with two pairs of chopsticks, making them talk with each other. The practical jokes had stopped, but then he tried cooking dinner, which ended in a disaster. Completely bored out of mind, the braided boy had made a family of sock people out of Wufei's slipper socks, Quatre's dress socks, a pair of Heero's socks, and his own black ones. Duo had taken the buttons off his jacket and used small pins to stick them to the socks for eyes. A permanent black marker and a red dry- erase marker had made the nose and mouth, and a box with cardboard pieces taped to the inside of it served as a house for the sock family. Various odds and ends, string and bottlecaps, made up hair, clothing, furniture, and accessories for the sock people.  
  
Misses Sox was British, spoke proper English, and wondered about Wufei's demeanour aloud. Mister Sox was supposedly Japanese and would often speak nonsense. He tended to stalk Quatre around the house, occasionally yelling out, "The Americans are coming! The Americans are coming!" and then diving underneath the vacuum, which in turn resulted in another miniture diaster. Suzie Q and BillyBobJoe resembled the Adams Family children, Wednesday and Pugsley. They would go around 'chasing' Duo with large knives and scissors, screaming obscenties. They often commited suicide, but mysteriously resurrected themselves again a few hours later. Grandma and Grandpa Sox like boring each other to death with stories of 'the olden days' - literally. The attic of the Sox house sheltered Nurse Chasity, who would keep an eye on the old Soxes. And then there was Juuseichi. A cocky 'android', Juuseichi killed the Sox family at least a dozen times before Quatre threw him -it- out the window.  
  
Duo sighed. "Quatre..." he whined. The blond turned from his position at the stove.  
  
"What is it now, Duo?"  
  
"He's bored," Wufei said mocklingly in the same tone Duo used that same moment when he replied, "I'm bored." Duo glared at him and Wufei glared back. Quatre sighed and went back to cooking lunch.  
  
The refrigerator door opened and they all turned, expecting Trowa to be standing there. Instead, it was Kami who was peering inside the fridge. She held up a carton of orange juice, opened it and looked inside. Grimancing, she drank a gulp out of the paper carton and then put it back. She went to look for something else when she caught sight of the others. Kami closed the door, sighing.  
  
The three pilots stared at her. Her hair was in a messy sidebraid and her face was pale, with a few red marks on her cheeks from the folds in the blanket, which was wrapped around her loosely. Kami's hands were shaking a little and couldn't get a good grip on the blanket, which fell off her shoulders and revealed how thin she had gotten in the past week. The pilots were amazed to see how skinny she had become.  
  
"So," she said, her voice quiet and thick, "What'cha makin'?" She cleared her throat softly, and went to stand next to Duo. Kami poked him in the shoulder. "That one hurt you know," she said.  
  
Duo mumbled an apology while Quatre explained what he was trying to make. Wufei raised his eyebrows when Trowa suddenly appeared in the kitchen as well and walked up behind her. He nonchalantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she leaned back, closing her eyes.  
  
"Are you still tired?" the clown asked.  
  
"A little." she admitted.  
  
"But--" Duo was about to point out the fact that she had done nothing but sleep when he recieved three glares from his fellow pilots. "Okay okay." he sighed dejectedly. "I guess I'll just go on outside and try to find Juuseichi." Duo glared at Quatre, who raised an eyebrow. Duo went off with Misses Sox, who had apparantly been having an affair with the robotic sock person, and the last thing they heard from him until lunch was, "It's about bloody time, you ol' chap! Now then, off we go to find that dear old Mister Juuseichi."  
  
"Who..." Kami asked.  
  
"It might be better not to ask," Trowa replied. She nodded, sighing, and leaned further back against him. Wufei stood up all of a sudden, muttering something under his breath and he too went off somewhere not to be seen until lunch. *** Kami knocked on the door. "Niichan?" Her only answer was a muffled mumble. "Niichan, can I come in?" Again, she didn't get much of a reply. Sighing loudly, she asked, "Look, are you at least somewhat decent right now?"  
  
"Hai (Yes)," came Heero's voice, muffled by the closed door.  
  
Kami rolled her eyes, turned the knob, and walked in, leaving the door open. Quatre heard her make a noise that sounded part gasp, part giggle, part snort as he walked past.  
  
"Niichan... a sheet does not count as clothing!" She had a hand to her face, trying vainly to cover her growing smile. Quatre took a deep breath, blushing, and walked away quickly, trying not to look in as he passed the room. Heero was laying in his bed on his side, facing away from the door. "Niichan... daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" Kami asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a hand gently on his bare shoulder.  
  
"Rippa na... naze desu ka (I'm fine... why)?" Kami leaned over to look at him in the face.  
  
"Because." She gently pushed his shoulder so he was laying on his back. "Niichan..." Her green eyes looked him over concerned. A hand made its way up to his face and she stroked his cheek gently. Heero crunched up his nose.  
  
"Hidari boku (My side)..." Kami ran her fingers gently over the bandaged wound, and the brown haired boy winced again.  
  
"Should I rebandage it for you, Niichan?" His eyes were closed, but he seemed fine except for the small blot of blood that had seeped through the white gauze. Heero nodded. "Okay, hang on a minute." Kami went out and returned with Trowa and another first aid kit.  
  
"Are you sure Quatre's hemophobic? " Kami asked the tall brunette.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh, well..." she said, almost sadly, and sat on the edge of Heero's bed again. "Niichan." Heero opened his eyes at the sound of his name. "Oh, good. I thought you went back to sleep."  
  
"Iie (No)." he said. Kami nodded. By pushing the sheet away, she found that he was wearing a pair of black jeans and that the bandage was wrinkled a little more than she had thought.  
  
"Are these mine?" Kami asked, surprised, looking at the jeans. She stuck her hand into one of the pockets and pulled it out. A blue ink stain covered the white pocket material. "They are! You've been wearing my pants for how long now?"  
  
Smirking, Heero answered. "Since we first got to the safehouse." Kami stared at him, speechless.  
  
"And I just now noticed that..." She banged her head on the headboard of his bed a couple times. "I'm getting too old for this... too sloppy..." Heero's smirk grew.  
  
Trowa had just watched the two for the last few minutes, but spoke up suddenly. "You fit in her jeans?"  
  
Kami looked at him while Heero shrugged nonchalantly, a slight smile on his face. The girl sighed. "Just because I'm suppose to be a perfect soldier, doesn't mean I have to have the perfect body. And besides, he's pretty skinny." She poked Heero in the stomach. "Not as thin as you or Duo, but skinnier than Wufei."  
  
"No one could be as thin as Duo," Heero said.  
  
"I don't know, Trowa looks like he could be pretty close." Kami answered, trying not to look at the tall boy standing at the foot of the bed, so she busied herself with removing the gauze and tape on Heero's side.  
  
Trowa seemed to smirk. Then, "What do you mean a perfect soldier?" he asked, the small smile leaving his once again emotionless face.  
  
"Huh?" Kami asked, washing the gash gently with warm water.  
  
"You said you were suppose to be a perfect soldier." Trowa repeated. Heero hissed through his teeth as Kami's hand jerked.  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Norou..." she said under her breath. "I don't know, I'm probably just rambling again... I do that sometimes, like when I'm bored, or nervous even."  
  
"Like now?" Kami paused. Heero watched her as she fumbled with the bandages.  
  
"I don't know what you mean," she said simply and then continued to rebandage Heero's side. "Are you going to help me or what?" she added. Trowa raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet and stepped forward to give her and Heero a hand. *** "So, Misses Sox, how is Seventeen doing?" Kami asked, passing the bowl of salad to Wufei.  
  
Duo looked up from his plate and looked almost lost.  
  
"You did find him, didn't you?"  
  
Duo's eyes lit up and he grabbed the sock off the floor and stuck his hand into it. "Oh, yes. Mister Juuseichi is doing quite well, don't you think so, Mister Maxwell?" he said in a pathetic British accent. With his normal voice, he replied, facing the sock. "Oh yes. We had a nice time out there too. Except for when it started raining..." Kami laughed as he wrung out his braid again.  
  
"Ah, yes. It was simply splendid! Until, of course, the rain, but it was still very lovely." answered the sock.  
  
"So where's Juuseichi right now, Du-- I mean, Misses Sox?" Quatre asked with a smile.  
  
"Oh, dear, I'm afraid he isn't feeling very well, Mister Winner. It does take alot out of you being thrown out of a window." replied the sock. Duo nodded in agreement, stuffing his face quickly.  
  
Quatre and Kami chuckled and continued talking with the sock, seeing how fast Duo could eat between the answers. Wufei was wearing his I-don't-know- these-people-I-am-much-more-dignified-than-that face and Trowa was simply trying to keep up with the playful banter. Heero was looking at them as if they were nuts. Which they probably were.  
  
"No, no, no." Kami said. "It's 'If mists of the new moon rain in the old, then mists of the old moon rain in the new.'"  
  
"I think I have to agree with her, Misses Sox." Quatre replied.  
  
The sock said nothing for a moment while Duo was thinking of what to say. Then, "What's an old moon?"  
  
"I, I don't know." Kami admitted. "It's not scientifically backed up that there is one."  
  
"I think it's just a saying, Duo." Quatre said.  
  
Trowa sighed and spoke up for the first time. "'If mists in the new moon rain in the old, then mists in the old moon rain in the new.' I believe it is another expression for 'What comes around goes around', theoritically, of course. And the phrase is actually backed up in several ways. Scientifically, astronomically, and in theory."  
  
They all stared at him. "Well, I suppose..." Kami mumbled, thinking hard.  
  
"No, I, I think you're right, Trowa." said Quatre.  
  
"Did he actually say more than a sentence?" Duo asked, amazed. "Whoa..."  
  
"See, you were wrong, woman," Wufei said, not really caring.  
  
"Hn..."  
  
"Oh, stop." Kami said, poking Heero in the ribs, being careful not to hit his wound. He glared at her, and she glared back at him. Heero glared some more, and Kami picked a water chestnut off his plate and ate it. "Mmlah!" She stuck her tongue out at him. Heero continued glaring. *** "Dinner's ready!" Quatre called. A thunderous sound echoed throughout the house as five pairs of feet ran up the stairs.  
  
"I'm starved!" Duo exclaimed, falling heavily onto his chair.  
  
"You just ate an entire bag of potato chips, Duo." Kami said, sliding into the chair next to him.  
  
"Juuseichi helped!" Duo retaliated.  
  
"Don na ni (Whatever)..." Kami mumbled. "What is this?" she asked, looking at the oddly shaped food.  
  
"Pizza!" Duo cried happily, taking several pieces. "I didn't know you knew how to make this, Quatre!"  
  
"I don't." the blond admitted. "I ordered out."  
  
"What's on here?" Kami asked, picking the toppings off of the entire slice before taking a bite.  
  
"Well, pepperoni and sausage, some spices like dill or basil or something," Quatre explained.  
  
"And cheese!" Duo said. "Lots and lots of melted cheese!"  
  
Heero straightened, winced, and slouched back in his chair. "Cheese?"  
  
"Cheese?" Kami repeated in a whisper.  
  
Duo nodded, picking a large string of the orange dairy product off the slice of pizza and eating it. "Cheese! What? You no like?" He didn't get an answer because the girl had run out of the room.  
  
They all winced as a thud followed by a retching sound echoed through the hallway. Heero went to get up, but Trowa shook his head. "I'll get her." The Latin boy stood and exited the room. The four others listened while still eating. "Are you alright?" came Trowa's muffled voice.  
  
"I..." Kami paused and then there was the sound of shuffling feet and Kami threw up again. "I'll be okay... thanks anyway..." The two walked back slowly to the dining table and sat down. Kami's face was pale and her hands shook a little as she covered her face with them.  
  
"Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" Heero asked quietly. Kami nodded, and moved around so her forehead was resting on the edge of the table. She mumbled something under her breath in Japanese and Heero tried not to laugh. "Sonomama sono desu (That's how it is)..." he replied.  
  
"Iie, honto ni? Kigakari ja nai desu (No, really? I don't care)..." Kami said. She looked up and watched everyone eat for a few minutes before getting up and going over to the couch which she sprawled herself across and fell asleep.  
  
"What's wrong?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Hn." Heero replied. Wufei glared.  
  
"Who cares about the woman anyway? Certainly not I." Duo smirked and made a tossing motion towards him. Wufei jumped up, thinking the cat was going to fly at him again. Duo laughed. Trowa just sat there, thinking, unconciously picking the toppings off the cheese before taking a bite. Heero finished eating and went to stand up.  
  
"Done already?" Duo asked. "You had, what, two slices? Come on, Heero, man, you're gonna get as thin as Kami..." he trailed off as the other pilots glared at him. "Oops... hehe..."  
  
Heero had straightened as best as he could and stared at the braided boy. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Nothing!" Duo answered quickly. "I was just talking like I usually do, without any real reason or knowledge of what I'm talking about--"  
  
"What do you mean?" Heero asked again, louder, more commanding. No one said anything. Even Wufei didn't have a remark to give. Heero glared, got up and crossed into the living room. The four pilots at the table could hear them but couldn't see what was happening. "Sameru (Get up)."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Ima sameru (Get up now)."  
  
"Naze (Why)? Itai, oi (Ow, hey)! Yamero (Stop)!" Heero had grabbed Kami's arm and yanked her up. Heero asked her something roughly in Japanese as she hung halfway off the couch by her elbow. "Oriru (Get off)! Inasu (Let go)! Yamero, (Stop) Niichan, onegai (please)..."  
  
Heero repeated what he had said and Kami mumbled a reply. "Nani (What)?!" Kami said something else that the pilots at the table couldn't make out. "Baka (Fool)!" Heero shouted.  
  
"Ashikarazu (I'm sorry)... Demo (But)..." Kami replied.  
  
"Ya da! Shikaruni ja nai (No! No buts)."  
  
"Niichan... onegai (please)..." Heero sighed.  
  
"Sameru (Get up)." he said softly, letting go of her arm. Kami get up slowly, clearly afraid. "Eeto (Let me see)."  
  
"Nani (What)?"  
  
"Eeto, dore (Let me see)." Kami straightened, seeing how serious he was. She lifted her shirt a little and showed him how thin she had become.  
  
"Imoto (Little sister)..."  
  
"Sumisen (I'm sorry)..."  
  
Heero sighed. "Iie (No), there's nothing to be sorry about..."  
  
"Nani (What)?"  
  
"Ayamachi watakushi... ayamaru boku (It's my fault... I apologize)..." Kami looked at him, biting her lower lip. She said something under her breath before reaching out and grasping Heero's neck. Kami held him tightly and he smiled sadly, slipping his arms around her tiny waist.  
  
"Daijoubou desu (It's alright)..." he whispered, rocking back and forth gently, careful not to lean too far and reopen his wound. He didn't know why he had gotten so mad. Perhaps because no one had ever done anything like that because of him. The only thing people did because of him was die. But he wasn't going to let that happen again. "Heiki (You're alright)..." A lone tear ran down his face as he spoke. *** "Ya-mm-o!" Kami grabbed a napkin and spit into it. Heero looked at it with a raised eyebrow as Quatre's face turned green. "Stop it!" Kami said forcefully to Heero, who simply stuffed the spoon back into her mouth. She glared at him.  
  
"Eat it." he replied, meeting the glare with one of his own. Kami gave a loud sighing noise, picked up the spoon and filled it with the mashed potatoes Duo had managed to make without destroying anything. She held it up and flicked it at Heero. Duo laughed as Heero wiped the food off his face with the back of his hand.  
  
"Omae o korosu (I will kill you)..."  
  
"You'll have to catch me first!" Kami jumped up and ran off, Heero following her, both yelling and screaming bloody murder.  
  
"Um..." Trowa looked down at Quatre, who was trying not to notice the two running around his chair. "I should really be going now..." He carefully stood up, took his plate to the sink and locked himself in the bedroom he and Duo were still sharing. Heero and Wufei still shared the other room, but Kami had snuck into the Japanese boy's bed late that night and Trowa had figured out how to get the spare mattress out from underneath the blond's bed, so he had slept there.  
  
Kami seemed more like herself since Heero had begun walking around the house. She was no longer sulky and had less sleep than anyone there, but she still managed to make an excuse to sit on Trowa's lap occasionally. Like right then, Kami jumped up onto the lanky boy's legs, curling up. "He's base! He's base!" she yelled as Heero tried to pick her up and toss her off.  
  
"Not even homebase is safe in a war," Heero replied simply, grabbing her arms.  
  
Kami laughed through her shouts of mock horror. Trowa just sat there and tried not to get in the way, which was hard because Kami was on his lap. He moved the slightest bit to keep from falling off the chair, and Heero glared at him. "Sorry," he said quickly, and dumped the girl off his lap to stand up. She ended up falling into Heero, who backed up unconsciously into Wufei, whom Kami slid onto. Duo tried to see over the table but ended up tripping over the legs of his chair and rolling into Trowa, who was trying to walk away.  
  
The noise level had caused Quatre to come back out and watch in awe at the tangled mess on the floor. "Oh, Allah..." the blond whispered.  
  
"Get off my braid!" Duo yelled as Wufei rolled onto it, trying to get off of Heero's stomach.  
  
"Don't kick!" Kami yelled at him.  
  
"Injustice!" Wufei cried as he somehow ended up underneath Duo. Trowa managed to untangle himself and was getting up when Heero sat up. He cocked his head, and got up. Kami stopped pushing Duo away and listened as well.  
  
Wufei pushed Duo off of him, grabbed his sword off the coffee table and ran down the staircase two steps at a time. He threw open the door to find a man in a military uniform standing there. "What do you want?" the Chinese boy asked, cautiously.  
  
Everyone in the dining room became silent to hear the man's reply. "I was sent to check on you, Mister Namuri."  
  
Namuri? Wufei thought. That must be the person who owns the house... His shoulders straightened. "I'm alright, officer. Everything's fine. You may go now, your duty has been fulfilled."  
  
"No, sir," said the soldier. "Not quite. I must speak to your wife, if she's home." Wufei glared, then sighed.  
  
"Aka (Baby)!" he called, mentally praying he wasn't going to be teased by Duo later on for it.  
  
"Nande, Fei-kun (What is it)?" Kami called, in a surprised voice, walking to the top of the staircase. "Officer! I didn't expect to see you so soon." she said quickly, seeing the man at the door. She walked over to stand next to Wufei.  
  
"Ma'am," the soldier tipped his hat, "I was sent to check in on--"  
  
"I know what you're here for," Kami replied, her tone almost annoyed. "We're perfectly fine."  
  
"Well, then, I suppose I should go now, sir, ma'am." The uniformed man tipped his hat again, and turned to leave when Kami grabbed his sleeve. "Ma'am?!"  
  
"Who are your partners?" she asked roughly.  
  
"Ma'am?!"  
  
"Who are your partners? In the truck." she repeated, tightening her grip on his wrist. Wufei's brow furrowed, and he realized there were two other officers in the truck that was in the driveway.  
  
"Oh... uh... there's Hirosho and Danoki. Why?"  
  
"Who's the blond?"  
  
"Danoki. Why?" he repeated.  
  
"What about you?" Kami asked.  
  
"Name's Fushiro. Why?" he replied.  
  
"I was just wondering. Is that alright, officer?" Kami asked, her face emotionless, but her body rigid.  
  
"Yes, of course, Misses Namuri. I should be going now," the soldier said.  
  
"Of course." She let go of his wrist and watched him walk down the stone pathway, get into the truck and drive away. "They weren't suppose to come for another week," she mumbled, watching the truck drive away. When the truck disappeared down the road, she slammed the door closed and turned to Wufei, who was standing there confused.  
  
"What is it, woman?" She glared at him, and then smacked him on the back of his head, forcing his head forward. Wufei's forehead hit the door, and he swore under his breath. "The hell was that for, woman?" he asked, rubbing his head.  
  
"Don't you ever call me aka. Ever. I am not your baby."  
  
"The--"  
  
"I don't care what he said. I know he called you Namuri, I have ears, fool. But that doesn't give you the right to call me that." She turned around and stormed up the stairs, her footsteps echoing loudly through the room. She slammed the door to the bedroom he, her, and Heero shared, and they all winced visibly.  
  
Wufei sighed and went back into the dining room where he met the dangerous end of Heero's gun. "What did you do?" the Japanese boy asked.  
  
"Nothing, Yuy." the younger pilot growled, pushing his way past him. The safety of Heero's gun clicked off and he felt the cool metal on the nape of his neck.  
  
"What did you do?" Heero repeated.  
  
"Nothing! Why would she be crying over something so unimportant anyway, Yuy? Perhaps because she is weak?" Wufei growled.  
  
"My sister is not weak, Chang. She's stronger than you think." Heero's gun cocked behind him. "Now, what did you do?" he snarled.  
  
"I called her aka. Is that alright with you, Yuy? The soldier thought we were someone else. I couldn't let--"  
  
"You did what?" Heero asked, his voice softer, but seemingly more demanding.  
  
"I called her aka, Yuy. Are you deaf?" Wufei turned around, but the Japanese pilot was already down the hall, banging on the door.  
  
"Kami, Kami, open up, it's me."  
  
"No."  
  
Heero punched the door. "Let me in!"  
  
"No! Leave me alone!" The sound of shattering glass filled the air.  
  
"Goddammit, Kami, open up!" Heero yelled. He hit the door so hard it creaked. "Let me in now!"  
  
"No! Go away!"  
  
"Kami..." He lowered his voice to a softer tone. "Open the door... please?"  
  
"No! Go away! Just leave me alone!" Kami yelled back. "Why can't you ever just leave me alone?" she asked quietly, almost in a whispered voice.  
  
"Kami..."  
  
"No! Not Kami! Don't call me that!" she yelled, another crash sounding as she threw something against the door. "Don't call me that..." Heero backed up a few steps and prepared to shoot the lock off the doorknob when the phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it!" Duo sang cheerfully, hoping to lighten everyone's moods. "Hey, Sally! Whazzup?!" He paused in mid-raspberry and straightened. "You sure... Well, yeah... uh, Heero's injured abit, and Trowa, but-- ... no, no, it's..." He sighed.  
  
"Yeah, okay. I understand. Sure, no prob." He paused as Sally asked something else. Duo smirked. "Well, Wufei's got a headache, but me and Quatre and Kami--" he paused, "Me and Quatre are fine. I dunno 'bout Kami. She's real upset 'bout somethin'."  
  
A huge crash rang out, and everyone turned. Heero had kicked the door down, standing half way in the room, and was saying something in Japanese while holding his side. Duo shook his head and continued talking to Sally, then gave the phone to Wufei, who now had an ice pack wrapped around his head.  
  
"She wants to talk to ya, Fei-kun." he grinned.  
  
Wufei glared. "What is it, woman?" Duo laughed as the Chinese boy's face went from annoyed to deer-caught-in-the-headlight. His narrowed eyes went wide and his shoulders slumped forward. He held the phone a few inches away from his ear, wincing, as Sally's voice carried through and they all heard her yelling. The woman's voice quieted and Wufei put the phone back to his ear. "Yes... yes, I'm fine, woman... I just hit my head..." Wufei's black eyes narrowed again, and he glared at Duo, who just smirked nonchalantly.  
  
Another crash sounded from the one bedroom followed by yelling. Trowa sighed and went over to stand in the doorway to see what was wrong. "Korose sono bakayaro! Korose kare o (I killed that bastard! I killed him)!" Kami yelled.  
  
"Shh, yume-chan, ima damare... yoroshii... (Little dream, quiet now, it's alright) I believe you..." Heero said, taking a step towards her.  
  
"Go away!" Kami yelled. "It's your fault, too, you know!"  
  
"What's my fault, Kami?" Heero asked quietly, moving to sit on the bed. Kami shrunk back into a corner, shivering and sobbing.  
  
"Dammit, Heero! Don't play with me! You know perfectly well what happened! You were there throughout the whole thing!"  
  
"Kami..." He paused. She had called him Heero... she had never called him that before... it was always Niichan... "Kami... Wufei doesn't understand... he didn't know..."  
  
"Don't!" she yelled.  
  
"What? Don't do what, Kami?" He got off the bed and walked towards her, reaching out.  
  
"Make excuses! Of course he doesn't understand, you don't understand!" She backed up further into the corner. "How could you? How could anybody?"  
  
"How can you say that, Kami, you said so yourself that I was there the whole time..."  
  
"You see but you don't observe..." Kami mumbled, hugging herself as she slid down the wall to end up seated with her knees under her chin. "You don't understand what happens though it happens to you... you may hear, but you never listen... because only your eyes and ears are open when your mind and heart must be..."  
  
Pausing, Heero opened his mouth, then closed it. He had heard that before somewhere... You may hear but you do not listen... "Doctor Jay said that..." he whispered.  
  
"I can't forget, Niichan... no matter how hard I try..."  
  
Heero looked at her tear stained face. "Kami..." he said softly.  
  
"He's always there... behind every corner," she continued, her voice in a quiet yet expressive tone. "Waiting, watching, poised to pounce, ready to kill... ready to come back and, and..." she trailed off, but Heero knew who and what she meant.  
  
He moved towards her, slowly, but she didn't seem to react so he approached her, picked her up and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "As long as I am here, you will always be safe. Always..." he whispered in her ear as he swayed side to side gently. "Is he dead, Kami? Did you kill him?"  
  
"I, I don't know... I think I did... but, I was too busy with you... and the Peacecraft girl... he, he might still be alive..." Kami answered, her arms moving up to wrap around the Japanese boy's neck.  
  
"If he is, I will protect you..." Heero said, "I promise... he's gone now, though, Kami... it's alright..."  
  
"Is he really?" she asked.  
  
Heero sighed, seeing Trowa standing there out of the corner of his eye. The clown had been there through most of the arguement, yet had not said a word. Instead, he had busied himself with cleaning up the broken glass and wood on the floor, not knowing at all what this was about. "I don't know," Heero admitted, "But I don't care... just as long as you are safe... that's all that matters now..." *** "Yes... yes... woman! I am fed up with--" Wufei fumed silently as Sally yelled through the phone again. It was obvious she was not in a good mood and apparantly, the news Duo had given her was not making her day any better.  
  
Eventually, Sally hung up, leaving a very distraught Wufei sitting there with his ice pack. Trowa came out of the bedroom, a cardboard box full of broken glass and pieces of wood in his arms. He placed the box next to the garbage can in the kitchen and went back into the bedroom. Quatre followed him, seeing as the yelling had stopped, he probably wouldn't get hurt.  
  
Heero was sitting on the floor, covered in a blanket, with Kami folded neatly in his lap. The boy's arms were wrapped around her loosely, and he was rocking back and forth gently. The girl seemed to be asleep, with tears still on her pale cheeks.  
  
"She's exhausted." Trowa observed. It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Heero nodded, looking down at the girl in his arms pensively. "Put her on the bed," Trowa reached over to help him, but Heero got up on his own and carried the girl to the bed they had been sharing.  
  
He sat on the edge of the bed as he laid her down. Pulling up the blanket, he asked, "Did she tell you anything?"  
  
"No, not much," Trowa replied. Quatre licked his lips and shifted his weight to the other leg, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. "I know only what has happened just now."  
  
"And what is that?" Heero asked, looking at Kami's face, his own a mixture of concern, anger, and protectiveness.  
  
"She is afraid." Trowa answered. He stood ram-rod straight, with his shoulders back and head held high. "Frightened, wary, confused. She doesn't know what to do, doesn't know if there's anything to do. She's scared, Heero, scared so much it's wearing her down." For once, his face wasn't completely void of emotion. His emerald green eyes were narrow in concern, and they glistened with the tears he would not shed. "Heero..."  
  
"What has she said, Trowa? Tell me." The Japanese pilot looked up at him, his voice telling him that he, too, was afraid, afraid of what he might say.  
  
Quatre left the room quietly, closing the broken door behind him as Trowa answered. "It's dark and cold all the time. There are quiet voices, murmuring, but loud noises, the sounds of bombs going off. Her wrist burns, the mark... There are always at least two people there, nearby. You, I think, and," He paused, his brows furrowing a little. "Drewmaud... whomever he may be..."  
  
Heero closed his eyes, nodding. Always the two of us, he thought. Always ending up in the middle of our fights... He sighed and opened his eyes again. "Trowa... I, I think you should know what happened..." He looked at the floor.  
  
Trowa gave a sad smile and nodded, sitting down on Wufei's bed. "I am listening." They sat there still an hour later. The only thing that had changed was Trowa's outlook upon the relationship between Kami and Heero. "Heero, I,"  
  
"No, don't... it, it might be better if neither of us said anymore about this today..." Heero stared at the blanket next to him, his face emotionless but with a hint of sorrow.  
  
Trowa nodded, understanding. "As you wish..." He stood up to leave but paused, noticing something. "Heero..." He sighed and reached out, taking the Japanese boy's hand in his. "You should clean this..." he said, rubbing the knuckles gently. They were scraped raw and bloody from pounding on the door. Trowa looked at the other hand. It was the same.  
  
"Stand up," Trowa said softly. Heero stood without a word. The tall boy sighed audibly when he saw the dark stain on his shirt. He lifted the shirt hem and found Heero's side covered in blood from his wound which he had reinjured when kicking down the door. "Heero..."  
  
His nose twitched and knees buckled when Trowa ran a hand over the bandage. "It doesn't hurt," he lied.  
  
"Still... Let me get the first aid kit. I'll be right back." The Latin boy turned swiftly and left for a moment, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Wufei," he said while passing by the Chinese boy. "I need to use your bed, is that alright?"  
  
Wufei didn't answer except to give a slight snore from his position in the recliner. Duo was on the couch, also sleeping. Quatre came out from the kitchen, his hands covered in flour. "What is it, Trowa?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing, go back to your cooking, Quatre, I'll be fine." Trowa replied and went back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him firmly. The blond shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.  
  
Heero was once again sitting on the edge of his bed, running his fingers through Kami's hair, toying with the bangs that were cut like his. He straightened when Trowa came in and winced as the movement pulled at the stitches in his side.  
  
"Which would you prefer me to do first?" the lanky brunette asked. Heero shrugged, still watching Kami sleep. Trowa sighed and placed the first aid kit on the edge of Wufei's bed. Heero heaved suddenly and held out his hand. Trowa took it, led him to Wufei's bed and sat him down. He wiped the bloody knuckles with a warm, damp cloth and bandaged them before moving onto the other hand. Both were completely silent while Trowa was bandaging Heero's hands. They were lost in their own thoughts. "Lay down," Trowa said suddenly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Lay down." he repeated. Heero looked up and realized his hands were covered in white gauze.  
  
"Oh..." He shook his head to clear it and leaned back against the pillow as Trowa undid the buttons on his shirt. "What is it?" he asked when he heard Trowa sigh.  
  
"Nothing..." Heero looked at him knowingly.  
  
"You wouldn't sigh for nothing. What's wrong?" He tried to prop himself up on his elbows but fell back as a searing pain shot straight up his spine. "Ohh..." He groaned as the pit of his stomach began flipping upside down.  
  
"That." Trowa replied. "I think the anthesia wore off from this morning..." He searched through the first aid kit but found nothing that seemed to be what he wanted. Heero raised an eyebrow when the clown swore under his breath. Trowa got up and walked out, not saying anything about being back or what he was doing, so Heero laid there on Wufei's bed and tried not to think of anything.  
  
A thud followed by a slam sounded. Heero lifted his head to see Quatre peeking through the door that Trowa had left open a little. "Heero? Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine." Another lie. The blond sqeezed himself through the opening, as if not wanting to move the door even a little to make a larger space, and came to sit next to the Japanese boy. Quatre had a wrinkle in the middle of his forehead. It usually appeared when he was worried or concerned about something or another. Quatre sighed.  
  
"How bad is it?" he asked. Heero looked at him, confused. The blond bit his lower lip. "Does it hurt much?" Heero shook his head, though the expression on his face said otherwise.  
  
"Where's Trowa?"  
  
"He ran out, said he'd be back in ten minutes."  
  
"I don't need it." Heero said, knowing what Trowa went out for. "I'm fine."  
  
"Don't be silly, Heero, of course you're not okay!" Quatre's eyes had narrowed and looked sunk in for some reason. His hands were clutched together tightly, turning white. Heero put his hand ontop of the blond's and they relaxed a little. "What's this?" Quatre asked, referring to the gauze on his hands.  
  
"I scraped my knuckles on the door." Heero replied.  
  
"Oh... Is she, is Miss Kami alright?"  
  
"See for yourself." Heero nodded towards the other bed.  
  
"You, you mean, you don't mind...?"  
  
"Nothing's stopping you, Quatre," The Arab went over and lifted the blanket abit. He smiled.  
  
"She's sleeping."  
  
"Yes, I know that." There was a few moments of silence, then Quatre replaced the blanket and sat again next to Heero, who's eyes were closed. Quatre reached out and touched his arm. Heero's brow twitched, but that was all. Thinking he was asleep, Quatre sighed and began talking to himself.  
  
"Oh, Allah... I hope we're going back soon... I don't think I can stand much more of this... and neither can you, Heero, just look at yourself! I'll bet you've lost weight since we arrived here on L1, not two weeks ago... And all this blood... you're going to pass out one of these days, from all the blood you've lost." Quatre sighed, voice wavering.  
  
"Heero..." The blond sighed again. "I, I should go now... I'll leave the door open a little for you, okay?" He didn't get an answer, but he didn't expect one. Quatre pulled the ends of Heero's shirt together, but left it unbuttoned, and pulled the sheet up to cover him, grimancing at the blood- stained bandages. "I'll be in the kitchen, if you need anything, Heero..." He trailed off but smiled. Quatre got up and left, leaving the door ajar just like he said would.  
  
After a moment, Heero opened his eyes and sighed, looking around. The room looked different from Wufei's bed, he noticed. He sighed and tried to get up, but then decided the movement wasn't worth the agonizing pain and laid back down. Wufei won't mind, he thought. But he wasn't really worried about Wufei right then. Instead his mind was on what Quatre had said. It was true, all of it. And he was willing to bet that he wasn't the worst off of the six of them.  
  
It didn't feel right, being taken care of like he was. He had gone through more painful, more fatal injuries before without any help. Besides, he was suppose to be the Perfect Soldier, the perfect person... He couldn't be hurt, killed, he wasn't suppose to have feelings, emotions. He was suppose to follow orders to complete missions, not follow foolish ideals to play the role of a brother... Heero sighed. He had failed as the Perfect Soldier, hadn't he? He couldn't be the immoral immortal being Doctor Jay had wanted him to be, and now look at him.  
  
And again, Trowa had resorted to taking care of him as if he were a child.  
  
Heero tried to turn over on his side, but gave up when a flame seared up through his body. He laid there for a few more minutes, thinking and listening to Quatre's Arabian music as it drifted in from the kitchen. Finally, he turned his head, pressing his cheek to the pillow, and silently cried. *** "Heero?" The Japanese pilot looked up; he had fallen asleep. Trowa walked in, closing the door behind him. "I got it." He sat down on the edge of Wufei's bed.  
  
"I don't need it," Heero replied. Trowa raised his eyebrow. "It's not going to work. My body is immune to most--"  
  
"It worked before."  
  
"I was in bad shape then."  
  
"You still are." The Latin boy said firmly, pulling off the sheet that Quatre had tucked so gently. He busied himself with taking the bandages off carefully. Neither of them spoke for several minutes as Trowa did that, bundling the used and blood-stained bandages in a heap and tossing them into a small trash can beside the bed. But as soon as he pulled out a syringe from the first aid kit, they were at it again.  
  
"I don't need it." Heero said in a determined tone.  
  
"Stop being so damn stubborn! Even you can show a little weakness once in a while, you know." Trowa said, demandingly. "Stop trying to be such a hero."  
  
"I am not." he growled back.  
  
"Heero... Either you quiet down, or I'll have Duo come in and hold you down."  
  
The Japanese pilot pursed his lips, folded his arms over his chest, and glared sulkily. He knew he was acting childish, but it for some reason didn't really matter right then. "Fine."  
  
"Fine." Heero looked at him as he prepared the needle. Usually, Trowa wouldn't have answered, and with his voice in such a low, demanding tone, it made Heero wonder what was wrong. Something was wrong, he knew; it showed in the clown's green eyes. And as much as Trowa would hate to admit it, Heero could read the Latin boy's face like a book right then.  
  
"Trowa..." he said softly.  
  
"Quiet." Heero gave a 'hmpf' sound and laid back against the pillow, the sedatives beginning to make him drowsy. Trowa didn't wait for the tranquilizers to start, and instead began once again to wash the wound. A few moments before the restitching, Heero somehow let himself be taken in by the overcoming darkness, almost glad that sleep was near.  
  
Heero woke up flinching, only dimly aware that Trowa was hovering over him. He guessed that the clown's fingers had brushed against the gash in his side while putting away the excess bandages. Heero opened his eyes groggily, wondering about it. It wasn't like Trowa to be so clumsy, but the older boy didn't seem to notice.  
  
"You're up already?" Trowa asked, realizing that Heero was staring at him.  
  
"I told you..." he replied, the answer coming breathy and almost whispered. Heero cleared his throat.  
  
"Hold still, then," Trowa gave the bandage around his waist one last tug and clipped it. Heero hissed through his teeth. "There." Trowa packed everything back into the white and red box, and went to get up.  
  
"Trowa?" Heero asked, still not fully awake, as he held his arms up, catching the clown before he fell forward ontop of him. He clutched Trowa's upper arms, calling his name, as the first aid kit clattered to the ground. "Trowa? Trowa?" There came no answer except for heavy, ragged and uneven breathing. "Trowa!" The clown lifted his head a little, and emerald green eyes met Prussian blue.  
  
"I, I'm alright, Heero... just, lost my breath," He swallowed, but then closed his eyes and his body went limp. Heero struggled to keep from dropping him, but his postion was an akward one and he was still not thinking clearly. Some of Trowa's weight was taken off his arms, then, however, allowing the Japanese boy to shift around into a better position.  
  
"Trowa?" came Kami's voice from behind the clown.  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
Heero started to get up, but Kami stopped him. "No, no, I have him. You just go back to sleep, Niichan, you need it." Heero sighed, but stayed at the edge of the bed as Kami managed to lay the clown on the carpeted floor and knelt down next to him.  
  
"How long have you been up?" Heero demanded, his voice still rough.  
  
"Long enough," she answered, leaning over Trowa. "There's a glass of water on the night stand, you might want to drink it," After a few minutes, Kami gave a low sigh. "Oh, Trowa..." She got up, opened the door, and shouted for Quatre, "I need a bowl of warm water and a washrag," before returning to the brunette on the floor.  
  
Heero looked over and blinked. Kami had stripped off Trowa's turtleneck, uncovering the multiple bruises, burns, and cuts - some scars, some not - on his chest. Most of the bruising was already fading, but some were still a deep purple.  
  
"He didn't say..." Kami started, looking back.  
  
"Did you think he would?" Heero asked, shifting his weight on the bed again. "He's a soldier, soldiers aren't suppose to show weakness." There was a moment of silence until Quatre came in.  
  
"I didn't know you were awake yet, Miss Kami..." he began. The blond paused in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of him. "Tro-Trowa?" he asked shakily.  
  
Kami calmly took the bowl and rag from him as he stood there, dipped the cloth in the water, and wrung it out. She folded it and placed it on the Latin boy's forehead. "It's alright, Quatre, go back to whatever you were doing." Kami said as she grasped the clown's wrist, checking his pulse. The Arab swallowed, looking at Trowa, and nodded. He left without a word, closing the door firmly behind him.  
  
Another period of akward silence followed, until Kami began mumbling under her breath. "Nande desu ka (What is it)?" Heero asked.  
  
"This is all from the base... except for a couple scars... He never said anything about these before..." Kami replied quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, waving at all the wounds. Heero slid off the bed to the floor and knelt carefully. "His ribs..." The Japanese pilot reached out and felt Trowa's broken bones. "He had said he lost breath, Niichan..." Kami whispered, "I think I know why." *** "Sally?"  
  
"Kami, I didn't expect to hear from you. Wufei said--"  
  
"Nevermind what he said, Sally, please," Kami interuppted. The friendly smile on the Preventer's face disappeared.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"It's Trowa." Kami replied solemnly.  
  
"Trowa? The only one who's managed to keep out of trouble so far?"  
  
Kami didn't laugh, nor even smile. "Yeah well, now he's in deep. We all are now, Sally. I, I need your help."  
  
Sally nodded, solemn. "What do you need?" *** "I'm afraid to move him. Niichan and I barely manged to get him up on the bed. We have to leave soon, though, Sally, we've been here far too long as it is."  
  
"Do you want me to send over some people?"  
  
"No, it'll cause too much comotion. We need to get back to Earth without everyone knowing. According to all records, we are all home, not on L1." Sally nodded, understanding. "Sally, I don't know what to do. Niichan's still not in shape to do anything but sulk around the house, and with Trowa like this..."  
  
"Kami... it's alright, we'll think of something. Give me ten minutes to talk to the Directour, you remember Une, don't you?" The Japanese girl nodded.  
  
"Okay. What should I do until then?" Sally sighed, concern etched into usually cheerful her face.  
  
"I'm not sure," *** "Quatre," The blond turned his head to look over his shoulder. Kami came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Daijoubu desu ka (Are you alright)? You look upset."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, Miss Kami..." He turned back to the counter.  
  
"Don't."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You don't have to call me miss, Quatre. Tomadachi (Friends)?"  
  
The blond smiled. "Tomadachi (Friends)." he replied.  
  
"Quatre,"  
  
"Yes?" She still had her arms around his shoulders, and he felt her hand over his heart.  
  
"What's this?" He looked at her through the corner of his eyes.  
  
"Watakushi uchuu no kokoro (My heart of the universe)." he said quietly.  
  
"That's why..."  
  
"That's why what?"  
  
"Quatre... you and Trowa are friends, ne (right)?"  
  
He nodded. "Close friends."  
  
"Quatre..." He turned around to look at her, her arms falling back to her sides.  
  
"Kami... tell me. Whatever it is, look at me and tell me."  
  
She sighed. "Trowa broke his ribs." He stared at her. He didn't think she's put it so blantly.  
  
"What?"  
  
Kami sighed again, softer. "He broke his ribs at the base, Quatre, they turn in when they break, he said he had lost his breath..." Quatre stepped back, grasping the corner of the counter for both support and comfort.  
  
"Is he okay?"  
  
"I don't know, that's why I called Sally."  
  
"Sally."  
  
"Yes. Quatre, we have to move, we've been here for too long." He nodded. "Quatre,"  
  
"Kami... do you have it?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you have it, the space heart,"  
  
"No, Quatre." *** "Pack your stuff, you forget anything and you'll never see it again." Kami announced.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Demo ja nai (No buts)." she said firmly. "Get packed." She threw a duffel bag at Quatre. "We leave at oh-four-hundred hours."  
  
"In the morning?! Are you nuts?" Duo asked. Kami glared at him.  
  
"Yes, in the morning. No, I am not nuts, and if you ever ask me that again, your's are going to get kicked. Got it?" Duo nodded dejectedly and ran off into the bedroom to gather the few things he had managed to bring, including his sock family.  
  
Kami turned to Wufei. "You're sleeping out here unless you want the matress under Quatre's bed."  
  
"And share a room with Maxwell? You have got to be kidding." Wufei snorted. She continued staring at him, almost coldly. "Why can I not sleep in the bed I was unofficially assigned to before?"  
  
"Niichan's sleeping there."  
  
"What about his?"  
  
"Trowa."  
  
Wufei sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it. And I am not sleeping in one of those chairs again." he stated.  
  
"Awww..." Duo replied, walking in with his bag in hand. "Does Fei-kun have a kink in his neck?" he asked in a singsong voice. Wufei glared.  
  
"For the millionth time, Maxwell, my name is not Fei-kun."  
  
"Whatever you say, Wu-man."  
  
"Duo." Kami said before two could start a physical fight. "Go." She pointed back down the hall to his bedroom. "Now, please."  
  
"But--"  
  
"I said go." Her voice was even, a little commanding, and very different from her usual tone. Duo sighed and trudged back down the hallway. Then Kami sighed. "I didn't mean for it to sound..."  
  
"You did what you had to do," Quatre advised, following after the braided boy.  
  
"It's just, today's been so messed up..."  
  
"I understand, and I'm sure Duo will too." Quatre replied, disappearing into the room. Kami sighed yet again. Lately, everyone had been sighing, and that wasn't exactly a good thing.  
  
"C'mere, Wufei," she said finally. The Chinese boy looked at her suspiciously, but walked over to stand in front of her. "Your neck hurts?"  
  
"No, it does not, woman. Now leave me be--" he paused in his miniture rant as Kami put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Turn your head this way," she instructed, moving behind him. Wufei glared, but did as she told him to. Her hands moved across his shoulders and neck, finding all the knots and rubbing them out, releasing the tension in his muscles. "When I ask you something, Wufei, I expect the truth. Please don't lie to me." she said. "I frankly don't care if you try to do anything else, but, please, Wufei, don't you ever lie to me."  
  
Wufei wisely decided not to say anything until she had sat down on the couch. He moved to sit next to her. "About before..."  
  
"It was a mistake." she replied quickly. "Just like the thing with Quatre was a mistake." The Chinese boy seemed to soften.  
  
"It's not a mistake until you refuse to correct it. An error, I mean." Kami nodded thoughtfully. "But, you do realize, you haven't given us an explanation for any of that."  
  
"Did you want one?" Kami asked quietly.  
  
"I would certainly appreciate it." he replied.  
  
She wrung out her hands, twisting the wrists this way and that. "Has Niichan said anything?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Not that I can recall."  
  
Kami sighed. "Alright..."  
  
"Injustice..." Wufei growled an hour later.  
  
"Yeah well." Kami wrung her wrists over and over again.  
  
"Is that why you hit me? Because of the nickname?"  
  
"Yeah..." She looked up, smiling slightly. "I didn't really hurt you, did I?"  
  
"Of course not, woman." Wufei looked as if she had just asked the stupidest question ever. "A mere woman could never hurt me!"  
  
"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Of course." Wufei raised an eyebrow. Kami threw her head back and laughed. It wasn't like her usual laughter, instead it was brighter, cheerier. Wufei managed a small smile. Kami's shoulders shook as she calmed down. "Oh..." She blew out air. "That felt good." She smiled. "You need to lighten up, you know?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder.  
  
"Whatever." he replied, but the tiny smile was still there.  
  
"Not whatever," she said, leaning closer to get up right in front of his face and nodded. "Nod and say, 'Yes, Kami, I will lighten up,'" Wufei raised an eyebrow and Kami laughed again. "Okay, then. Don't. See if I care." Wufei looked satisfied. Kami smiled and tickled him.  
  
"Hey!" He fell back, Kami on top of him, still tickling his side.  
  
"Laugh!" she shouted, dodging his hands as he tried to push her off.  
  
"No! Woman...!" He broke out into laughter as she brushed the bottom part of his jaw with the pad of her finger. He laughed so hard they fell off the couch. Kami giggled.  
  
"See? That wasn't so hard."  
  
"Woman... you truly are evil." he replied, catching his breath.  
  
"Thank you," she replied brightly. She rolled over, trying to get out from under the coffee table and ended up ontop of Wufei again. Her hair brushed across her face and hung in front of his. As she reached up to push it back, he caught sight of her necklace which had been hidden under her shirt and held it gently, looking at the charm.  
  
"This is..." He fingered the tiny dragon etching and the symbols under it.  
  
Kami stood up quickly, the necklace pulling out of his grip. "I know." she said simply. She helped him up.  
  
"Neo-Chinese? Or Earth Chinese...?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Wufei looked at her. She explained quietly. "They died before I could remember..."  
  
"Was it your father or mother?"  
  
"My mother." Wufei nodded. Kami fiddled with the necklace, then tucked it back under her shirt.  
  
"Does Heero..."  
  
"No." She shook her head. "Not even Doctor Jay knew..."  
  
"What? That you're part Chinese? Why would it matter?" Wufei asked.  
  
Kami shrugged, not looking at him. "I always thought, that, you know..." The boy nodded silently, understanding. The old L5 had been famous for its bands of terrorists since most of its inhabitants disliked the government. And since L5 was Chinese territory, it was no wonder that people of the ethnicity would be persecuted.  
  
"So..." Kami said, trying to change the subject.  
  
"So..."  
  
"Did Fei-kun really have a kink in his neck?" Wufei glared. *** "Kami..." Heero called, an utter urgency in his voice everyone at the table caught.  
  
"What is it?" Kami asked, standing up. Quatre leaned back in his chair and twisted around to look at the Japanese boy. He was hanging out the door.  
  
"Kami..." he repeated, the last syllabel of her name strained in a way that made her quicken her pace across the room. When she got there, he had already gone back inside, the door more closed than open. She pushed the door open and gasped.  
  
"Get a bowl and some water, and a washrag, Niichan, hurry." Heero went out into the kitchen as Kami knelt on the bed besides Trowa. She whispered his name, trying to get his attention. The Latin boy continued leaning over the edge of the bed, coughing up blood into the wastebasket. "Trowa, Trowa," she called, pulling on his shoulders, noticing how his long fingers clutched at the edge of the bed.  
  
Heero came in and set the things down. Kami ripped the washcloth in two, dunked both pieces into the water hurriedly, and wrung them both out. Setting them on her knee, she pulled Trowa up, forcing him to lay on his side instead of his stomach. One rag went on the back of his neck, the other she held to his forehead.  
  
"Niichan, call Sally, tell her to get her people over here as soon as possible. Go, hurry!" Heero rushed out of the room, bumping into Quatre, Duo and Wufei who were coming in. "Duo," Kami said, seeing them stand there, "bring me the first aid kit and some more rags."  
  
The American left without a word. Wufei guided Quatre back to the couch before going back into the room. He held Trowa's sweaty bare shoulders still as he continued heaving. As soon as the bloodflow stopped, Kami flipped Trowa over on his back gently. He was awake, his eyes open but unfocused. "Oh, Trowa," she sighed, wiping the blood from his lips. The tall pilot closed his eyes.  
  
Heero came back in. "Twenty minutes is the best they can do right now," he said. Kami nodded absent-mindedly. Duo popped his head in, his face without a smile, and handed her the first aid kit before leaving again to comfort Quatre. "Kami..." Heero said in a hesitant voice, looking at the door.  
  
Kami nodded again, thinking, then shifted her weight so she was kneeling on the bed, hovering over Trowa. Gently, she pressed where his ribs should have been. Trowa's eyes opened again, the green orbs laced with pain. Kami shook her head, mumbled an apology, and moved her hands under him, feeling his ribs through his back. Cursing softly, she sat back on her heels. "Trowa..."  
  
"Sorry," he croaked.  
  
"Nevermind that," she replied, then looked up. Kami blinked.  
  
"He went to flag down the Preventers," Wufei explained.  
  
"Okay, then, you help me." Nodding, he stepped up, ready to give a hand. "Get me a clear glass."  
  
"Why..."  
  
"Just do it," she said forcefully, turning her head to glare at him. His eyes narrowed and he left. Using the first aid kit Duo had brought in, she rebandaged the burns and other wounds on Trowa's arms and chest. Wufei came back in with a small glass cup. Kami took it, offering the Chinese boy a quick, tiny smile. Wufei didn't react. "Hold still, okay?" Kami asked Trowa, who nodded.  
  
"What,"  
  
Kami pressed the glass to his stomach, looking closely through it as Trowa hissed through his teeth. "I don't understand...." she mumbled. Kami moved the glass up aways, and looked through it again. Her shoulders fell as she sighed and handed Wufei the glass back.  
  
"What do I--"  
  
"Whatever, I don't care, but I need you to get Niichan." Wufei blinked again, shrugging, and left the room. Kami turned back to Trowa, who was watching her intently.  
  
"I really blew it, didn't I?" he asked, his voice breathy and light.  
  
Kami set her lips in a firm line. "When were you planning on telling me?" she asked, wagging her finger at him. "This could have been prevented before, if you had just told me. But n~o, you had to go and be the all- mighty hero who can't get hurt, you had to be--" She stopped as he brushed his hand ontop of hers. She looked at him, eyes narrow in concern. Kami sighed heartfully. "Don't you ever, ever, do this again, okay? I swear on the Goddess herself, I'll kill you if you die on me."  
  
"Okay." Trowa replied, forcing the tips of his lips to curl up in a very tiny smile. Kami's face changed and she went from angry and concerned to emotional and tearful.  
  
"Gods, Trowa... why didn't you tell me?" she murmured, swallowing hard. She picked his hand up in hers and rubbed her thumb gently across his knuckles. "Why couldn't--"  
  
"Kami..." Heero walked in, limping slightly. He paused at the scene they made. Gently, Kami set Trowa's hand down and got up off the bed. She and Heero whispered harshly, Heero's lips set in a firm line, and Kami shaking her head.  
  
"I can't do it, didn't you hear me the first time?"  
  
"You can, Kami, you have to."  
  
"I know I have to! That's not what I'm saying! I'm saying I can't do it."  
  
"But you can--"  
  
"No! I can't!" she growled. "I can't because I never learned, Niichan..." Heero blinked, then sighed. He shrugged.  
  
"Then I don't know what else to do."  
  
"Welcome to the club," Kami replied sarcastically.  
  
"Don't yell at me, Kami. I'm not the one who left early."  
  
"Well it's not like I had a choice!" She stormed out of the room, slamming the door as hard as she could. The wall mirror in the corner of the room rocked and fell to the floor but no one moved to right it.  
  
"Gods," Heero stalked out after her, fists clutched tightly, leaving Trowa and Wufei alone in the room with an uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Wufei..."  
  
"Hush," the Chinese boy said sharply, "Save your breath for when you need it." The words seemed curt, brusque, but his tone held none of that. Neither did his face. "This is so messed up..." Wufei mumbled, falling into tailor position on the floor. "It wasn't suppose to work out this way..."  
  
Trowa nodded, giving a tiny sigh of frustration. He closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing. If he hyperventilated now, would that extra oxygen in his blood carry over to when he needed it most? How much longer until the Preventers came?  
  
Wufei seemed to be wondering the same thing and crossed the room to look out the blinds. He shook his head and turned to lean against the window. He glanced at the clock. "They should be here any minute now..." Wufei looked out the window again, sighing.  
  
Kami came in, shutting the door softly behind her. "Sorry," she said quietly. She straightened the sheets as best as she could on both beds, put the mirror back up on the wall, and otherwise tried to fix up the room so it looked somewhat like it had when they first arrived. Wufei went to help her when he heard a screeching sound outside the window.  
  
"They're here," Wufei stated, glancing out the venetian blinds. Kami nodded and slipped her arm under Trowa's shoulders. She hauled him up gently as the Chinese boy pushed his legs off the bed. Kami supported Trowa on one side and Wufei the other and they were about to move towards the door when the door suddenly opened.  
  
Three men in Preventers uniforms rushed in, two carrying a stretcher, the third a red and white case. Kami left the room to find Heero, Duo, and Quatre as Wufei helped the Preventers with Trowa.  
  
Outside, Heero threw his bag in the back of the black van they had parked in the driveway and climbed into the driver's seat as Quatre snuck in to sit in a back row with Duo. Wufei followed the braided boy, and closed the door behind him. Heero peeled out of the driveway and waited behind the van the Preventers had come in.  
  
The three officers carried Trowa out and into the back of the van, followed by Kami and a female officer with a clipboard. Kami gave Heero a sad smile before she climbed into the van with Trowa. Heero nodded and the female officer slammed the doors shut, ran up to the front and jumped into the passengar seat. *** [Chapter Five Finished] [Chapter Six Teaser - Kami sat up, pushing Heero to the ground. It was all he could do just to put up his arm fast enough to block hers from hitting his head.] *** A/N: -Special thanks to Melanie. Yes, I know it's different than what we planned on, but you helped me so much with this chapter. Thanks also to Tsuki. Why, I forgot... -_- But don't worry, I'll remember... maybe...  
  
A/N: This should be coming out sometime around Tsuki's birthday... 'should' being the keyword here. Anyway, happy sweet sixteen, Tsuki!! *** 


	6. Chapter Six

Connections  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Diviana  
  
~~~  
  
[Chapter Flashback: Duo makes a family of sock people, Kami gets Wufei to laugh, and Trowa ends up in really bad shape.]  
  
***  
  
"I am not leaving this doorway," she announced, showing how much she had come to trust Heero's friends, "until he's able to walk through it."  
  
"Kami," Heero began.  
  
"No. Watashi koko todomaru (I'm staying here)." she replied firmly.  
  
"Kami..." he sighed. "Do you know how long that will take? You can't stay standing there for that long; You'll go mad,"  
  
"As if I'm not already?" she asked with the sincerest of faces. "I've made up my mind. And if you don't like my decision, fine." Kami leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms under her breasts. Her emerald eyes found the floor fascinating, and she stared at it so long, so hard, she had to blink and refocus.  
  
Heero watched her, a strange look on his face. "Okay," he said finally. "Okay." He blinked, then continued. "Tell me when he's up, alright?"  
  
"Don na ni (Whatever)," she murmured, shrugging her shoulders as she continued staring at the floor by his feet.  
  
Heero came back several hours later. It was nearly noon, and they had left the safehouse around ten the night before, arriving on the space port an hour later. He was certain the girl would be asleep and hungry, but when he arrived, Kami was fully awake and talking to Sally. Well, more like Sally was talking to her and she only nodded in reply. When Heero paused behind Sally, the doctor turned, startled, having noticed how Kami's eyes flickered towards him.  
  
"Oh! Heero, there you are!" she said. Kami swallowed, looking off aways and not paying attention.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, curious as to what they were talking about before.  
  
"Oh, it's just that I've been looking for you all day, and--"  
  
Heero cut her off. "Kami... daijo--" She interrupted him with a harsh 'I'm fine', glaring. Heero blinked.  
  
Sally sighed, tucking her clipboard under her arm. "You can talk later, alright? I promise, it'll only take a few minutes," Heero blinked, looking at her, then Kami again. The girl didn't respond, only leaned back against the wall again and stared at the floor.  
  
Heero silently followed Sally down the hall to her office where she looked at his wound. "Ouch, you're gonna have a scar from that one," she commented. Heero shrugged.  
  
"One more scar won't mean a thing," he replied.  
  
"Still, Heero, that's gonna be a nasty one. You sure you don't want anything for it?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
  
"Okay," she shrugged. "Well? Go on, get," She shooed him away, smiling, albeit sadly. He left her office and walked back down the hall to where Kami remained.  
  
"Everything okay?" she asked him quietly, not looking up.  
  
"Yeah. What about you?" Her eyes found his, then drifted back down to the ground. "Kami," The girl shook her head violently, breathing hard. Heero grabbed her shoulders and said her name again as she sobbed, hands over her face. The girl didn't even think about her words as they poured out in Japanese, her forehead resting on Heero's shoulder.  
  
Heero stood and listened, trying to decipher her muffled sobs. His insides flipped and twisted as he figured out what she was trying to say. "Kami... it'll be alright, just watch... it wasn't your fault, shhh. He'll pull through okay..." he assured her, rubbing her back in small circles. She finally quieted, though she still clutched to his shirt.  
  
"Come on, Kami, are you hungry?" She shook her head as he tugged her gently. "They have wonton, you know," he pressed gently. She shook her head again. "You want to take a nap?"  
  
"I'm staying here..." she mumbled, still stubborn in her fading facade. He knew she was anxious on seeing Trowa - he was too, but he had slept for six hours. She hadn't.  
  
"Kami, c'mon, I promise I'll wake you up if he does..." She looked up at him, biting her lower lip as she weighed her options.  
  
"Promise?" He nodded. "Swear by the Goddess herself? 'Cause if you don't, Goddess help me, I'll kill you." Heero smiled.  
  
"Cross my heart and hope to die." he whispered, bending a little to pick up her knees.  
  
"That's good, 'cause I don't think I'd have the heart to kill you..." She laid her head on his shoulder again as he carried her down the hall to their quarters.  
  
"That's because you wear your heart on your sleeve, imoto (little sister)," he whispered back. She didn't hear it, however, since she had already nodded off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Wazuka (Only a little)..." Kami replied, her head dropping to the table. Heero smiled as he shook his head and left for a few moments.  
  
"So, you get enough sleep?" Quatre asked her.  
  
"Sleep? Waz dat?" she yawned, sitting up, and stretched. Heero seemingly popped up out of nowhere.  
  
"Here, drink it. It's ocha (Japanese green tea)." He pushed a small porcelein cup in front of her.  
  
"Wonton?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"No... there's ohebi (lobster)..."  
  
She sighed, staring into her cup. "... I think I'm going to be sick..."  
  
"Alright..." Heero left again, worried, to be replaced by Wufei and Duo.  
  
"Hey! What's up?" the braided boy asked.  
  
"Hello, Duo," Quatre said, moving over to let him sit. Wufei took a seat across from Duo and next to Kami, who was still staring into her cup. He put a hand on her shoulder, whispering in Mandarin. She nodded silently.  
  
"Gohan desu ka (White rice)...?" Heero set the plate in front of her questioningly. She smiled at him, her face a little less green.  
  
"Arigatou, Niichan (Thanks)."  
  
He nodded, and sat on the other side of her, not noticing the Chinese boy. Nor did he notice when Kami made Wufei eat her food. He wasn't watching, wasn't being attentive. He was thinking, worrying. Nothing like this had ever happened before, not to them. True, there was that kamikaze mission he had gone through and the self-destruction, but that was him, that was simple burns, that was a different story all together.  
  
The group had been together since Operation Meteor Two took place. Before that even, in training, in cause. He knew, he had just known, that somehow he was going to fit in. And he did. They had all become good friends, against their wills maybe, but eventually they all took it for granted. Their missions always crossed over, they were always partners, and because of that, everyone recognized them as a group. Even them.  
  
They had long ago unofficially and unspokenly taken up ranks in their little club. Heero was the leader. That was a given. He was the most trained, the most ready, the most prepared to die. He would not let sentimentality interfere with the mission. Wufei was just sort of there. He inspired them all through his beliefs of justice, and one could count on him, if he was in favour. He understood revenge, he knew how to stand up for what he believed in.  
  
Quatre was the one they all protected, he was the one they went to if they needed to feel 'normal'. He was the one they all worried about, took care of, and he in turn, taught them how to take care of themselves. Duo was an expert on weapons, as much as his personality proved otherwise. Guns, poison, bombs, hostages, he knew it all, had worked with it all. He was also the street-smart one, the one with the most common-sense.  
  
But Trowa, he was more than that. He was the rock, the glue that held them all together. He was the one everybody counted on, the one they could all trust to come through for them. He stopped the fights between them all, and was mostly never part of them. He was the oldest, perhaps the wisest, but the most experienced by far. Having been raised as a mercenary, he knew war better than any of them, Heero included. Without Trowa, they would fall apart, but not before a whole lot of fighting.  
  
And then there was Kami. They had all accepted her by now, as a temporary part of their group. Some had bonded, befriended her. It was she who reminded them what exactly they were fighting for - friendship, freedom, peace, humanity. It didn't surprise him much. She had always been so easy to get along with.  
  
~~~Flash~Back~~~  
  
"So, how do you like Russia?" The man smiled, chuckling.  
  
"I like it, thank you. It is after all, my home-country." Heero blinked, watching them from the other side of the bar. Kami cocked her head.  
  
"Really? Oh, that must be a shame. To be Russian, I mean." It was the man's turn to blink.  
  
"Ja, ja ((Russian) yes, yes), I suppose so. Sucks, doesn't it?" Kami giggled. Heero looked at her, confused.  
  
"Kami, we're here on a mission," he whispered in Japanese through the tiny mic. "Stop fooling around."  
  
"I'm not fooling around," she whispered back, holding her hand to her face as if to scratch her nose to hide the fact that her mouth was moving. "I'm getting information. And his trust. So there." She turned back to the man, smiling. "So, you drink here often?"  
  
"Ja, ja ((Russian) yes, yes), the bartender's a close friend of the family. Besides, it's the only place that serves my favourite in fifty kilometers." Kami nodded.  
  
"And your favourite would be?"  
  
"Straight martini, shaken, not stirred," he replied solemnly. Kami giggled loudly.  
  
"And I suppose your name is James Bond?"  
  
"Right you are, little miss. I'm James Bond himself."  
  
"Uh huh, sure," she replied, still smiling. "So, uh, would you happen to know one of my uncles? He comes here often." She lied, but he didn't catch it.  
  
The Russian man shrugged. "Don't know. What's his name?"  
  
"Vladmirich. Dmitri Vladmirich."  
  
"Hell no, little miss, he and I, we don't mix, if you know what I mean." She shook her head, her eyes wide making her look innocent. "Well, he and my buddy Boris got into a brawl the other day. And besides, Dmitri's one of those rich folks from downtown Moscow, we don't mess with people like him. Chyort ((Russian) buggers)..."  
  
"I see." Kami nodded, looking at Heero through the corner of her eye. He nodded and got up, walking out of the bar. She could see him pause at the door and wait for her."Well, I've got to go home now, okay? Bedtime, you know," she smiled shyly as she stood to leave.  
  
"Sure thing. You know, you remind me of my little gurl... killed in a fire, you know."  
  
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry." She ran off into the crowd and met up with Heero outside the door. They ran off into the night to meet with their contact. Their mission was complete.  
  
~~~End~Flash~Back~~~  
  
But it wasn't Kami he was worried about. Heero blinked, sighing inaudibly. For once he wasn't worried about her. He knew now that she could take care of herself. She didn't need him now as much as she had.  
  
Instead, he worried about Trowa. Kami had said it was multiple fractures, some hairline and some cleanly bent inward. His lung was pierced, and internal bleeding had occurred. Sally and the other doctor had fixed the last two, and all they could do was wait to see about the broken bones. After all, they couldn't exactly put his ribs in a cast. And of course, there was still burns and gashes and an awful scrape on his thigh. Not to mention the bruises that dotted his body.  
  
Heero wondered how Trowa had gotten away with those injuries for as long as he had. No one ever noticed until the day before... Come to think of it, he had been uncharacteristically slow... and tired, too. Why hadn't anyone noticed?  
  
The loudspeaker came on, and someone droned on about something. Heero wasn't listening. He was still lost in his thoughts. "Niichan!" Kami growled as she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall of the Preventers spaceport before he knew what was going on.  
  
"Kami, let go, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" she replied. He wrenched his arm out of her grasp, and followed her down the hall. She hadn't noticed she no longer held his arm, but she could care less.  
  
The person over the loudspeaker was repeating everything in a series of languages, and Japanese had just happened to be one of the first. By the time Kami had thrown open Sally's office door, the English announcement had come. And then Heero understood.  
  
Kami grabbed his arm again, after only listening to a minute of Sally's speech, who threw her hands up in the air and mumbling, "Why do I bother?" and they ran down the hall again to stop in front of Trowa's room. By that time, the other three pilots had heard the announcement and were down the hall, running and laughing. Heero saw Duo whoop right before Kami tugged him into the room with her.  
  
"Trowa!" she cried excitedly, jumping onto the bed happily. She hugged him akwardly, then sat back on her knees and started going on and on about how he had worried them. Heero blinked, and after a moment, reached over and covered her mouth with his hand. She glared at him and tried earnestly to remove it, but Heero would have none of it.  
  
"What she means to say is that she's happy you're alive." Trowa smiled, chuckling slightly.  
  
"So am I."  
  
"Okay, so anyway," Kami said, finally pulling Heero's hand away from her face, "You could have at least told someone, you know, instead of waiting until the last possible second."  
  
"I'll remember that. But I do recall you not telling anyone about a certain other injury," Trowa replied softly, poking her gently in the side. She glared.  
  
"That's different."  
  
"Heero doesn't seem to think so." They both looked up at him. Heero blinked, coming back from his thoughts again.  
  
"What?"  
  
Kami giggled. "Nothing."  
  
"No, I want to know what's so funny." Kami sighed.  
  
"You think me and Trowa are the same." Heero blinked, not understanding. "Well, not like that, oh, whatever." Kami sighed, turning back to the boy in the hospital bed. "Anyway, you still should've told somebody." Trowa shrugged weakly. The girl sighed again. "I don't know why I bother. You guys all have this stupid egoistical way of handling things." Heero finally understood what they were talking about.  
  
"If it were me, I wouldn't have said anything either," Heero offered. Kami looked at him and shook her head.  
  
"See?" she mumbled.  
  
Trowa gave a tiny smile. "Well, just a bit of advice: It hurts like hell." Heero smirked, chuckling. Kami blinked.  
  
"What's so funny?" she asked confused. Heero and Trowa shook their heads, still laughing slightly.  
  
"Trowa!" Duo bounded in, followed by Wufei and a meek-looking Quatre.  
  
"Maxwell, must you be so loud?" Wufei asked, "The rest of this hall must know his name by now."  
  
"Hi, Trowa," Quatre said softly, waving. Trowa smiled at the blond, who approached cautiously and stayed close to the door.  
  
"Okay? So then..." Duo droned on, talking to Trowa about who-knew-what, his hands wringing as he enunciated his words. Heero almost made a face - it was the exact same thing Kami had done minutes before.  
  
Trowa nodded, catching only half of it. Kami giggled as he tried earnestly to understand what Duo was rambling about. "Duo, shut up." Heero growled after a few minutes. They all turned silently to look at him. "You're giving me a headache."  
  
"Pssht," Duo replied, turned back to Trowa and started again with a wave of his hand. Wufei glared.  
  
"Maxwell," He didn't answer. "Maxwell..." Still no response. "Duo!" Wufei grabbed him by the bicep, whirling him around, and stuck his face into his. "Yuy said to shut the hell up. Do as you're told." he hissed. Duo blinked.  
  
"Whatever you say Fei-kun," he said cheerfully, pulled back and continued talking. Trowa gave an apologetic smile. Kami patted his leg before lunging off the bed's edge into Duo. "Eep!" The braided boy fell back to the floor as she clasped on. He struggled for a moment before she leaned over to whisper something in his ear. "The what?"  
  
"I said I'll personally rip out your windpipe if the mouth doesn't shut in two seconds." she hissed, her hand already on his throat.  
  
"But--"  
  
"One..."  
  
"Okay, okay, okay..." he relented. She glared, got up and dragged him across the room by the back of his collar. She had Wufei's wrist in her other hand, and led them both out into the hallway. She closed the door and stood in front of it, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.  
  
"Woman," the Chinese boy growled.  
  
"No. Give them ten minutes and then maybe, *maybe*, I'll let you two go in." Wufei turned to Duo, who was picking himself up off the floor.  
  
"This is all your fault, Maxwell. If you had just shut up--"  
  
"But Fei-kun--"  
  
"Maxwell--"  
  
"Iyaa usagai (Shut up)!" Kami yelled, then took a deep breath and sighed loudly. They blinked, looking at her. "Wufei, go find some aspirin. Duo, go bug Sally about the files. She'll know what I'm talking about."  
  
They didn't move. "Now!" Meekly, the two left, going seperate ways. Kami sighed again. Men...  
  
***  
  
"I told him I'd sell him to the dumpling man up the road," Kami said with a blush. Heero grinned. "It was an accident!" She said to Quatre and Trowa's questioning looks. "Okay? An accident, as in something that wasn't meant to happen? Something not done on purpose? Some-"  
  
"Okay, okay, we get the idea," Heero snapped almost playfully. She glared at him though there was a smile tugging at her lips.  
  
"So where are they now?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Duo's with Sally running an errand for me," she smiled almost devilishly at the thought of the braided mouth being an errand-boy, "and Wufei should be coming in any minute now with..." The door opened and the said Chinese boy stepped in, a white bottle in his hand. He closed the door, glaring at Kami, and gave her the tiny container.  
  
"There you are, woman,"  
  
"Why, thank you so much, Fei-kun!" she said sweetly, giving him a quick, uncharacteristic hug, popped the top off the bottle and shook it upside- down. Kami passed some aspirin to Heero before offering Trowa some. He shook his head, declining.  
  
"I've got codeine." he said, nodding towards the I.V. stand.  
  
"Ooh... the good shtuff," Kami said with a smile.  
  
"Yeah. Wish it were easier to take though," Trowa replied with a small grin.  
  
"You want pills?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You want pills?" she repeated. Heero looked at her strangely. She smiled in response. "Quatre, come with me," Kami asked, heading out the door.  
  
"Um, okay, why?" the blond asked, following her. Wufei looked at Heero.  
  
"You think she's going to raid Sally's cabinet?"  
  
"Better not." Heero answered, sitting on the edge of the bed. Wufei took up a vigilance in a chair next to Trowa. "She's in enough trouble as it is,"  
  
"You never told me how you were, Heero," Trowa said, changing the subject.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Your side, sha zi ((Mandarin) idiot)," Wufei mumbled. He sighed. "Why do I always--"  
  
"I'm fine," Heero cut in. "Sally looked at it. I'll have a scar, but it's not very serious. You guys did a good job sewing it up." Wufei immediately stopped his glaring.  
  
"Yuy complimented me..." he said in an awed voice. Heero gave a tiny smile.  
  
"I think I'm getting better at that. Of course, if you would me something to compliment about..." Trowa snorted as Wufei glared again.  
  
"I have plenty charateristics about me that one should compliment," he shot.  
  
Heero chuckled. "Like what? The ability to keep people far, far away?" Trowa blinked. "Duo said it once," Heero shrugged, explaining the science- fiction-ish tone he had used.  
  
"Yes!" Wufei said, standing up. "I am particularly good at keeping my distance. Not to mention fencing and swording, and origami," He paused. "And gardening..." he murmured, a blush creeping up his cheeks. Kami burst out laughing. Wufei turned to see her and Quatre standing there.  
  
"Wu... fei... the, the florist!" Kami snorted, still laughing.  
  
"Shut up," he sulked.  
  
"O-okay," she replied heartily. She managed to tame her laughs down to mere giggles. Kami held out a hand and grinned. "Lookit what we got'cha, Trowa!"  
  
"Kami..."  
  
"I didn't steal it, Niichan!" she said in a hurt voice. "Quatre did!" Everyone looked up at her words, eyes wide. "Ah, I'm just joking. Here," She tossed the bottle to Trowa who caught it easily with one hand.  
  
"Kami," he said, reading the label, "this is pretty strong,"  
  
"I know. It works wonders. Just... don't take it with any anti-depressants, or grape fruit juice..." She made a face.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Dunno. It sends out some signal in the sky and Mister Sandman comes a- running. He likes to overstay his welcome." Trowa blinked.  
  
"Sleep is good," Quatre said.  
  
"Not if you're suppose to be awake." Heero raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Where'd you get it?"  
  
"No where important," she said innocently. Wufei snorted while Quatre blushed.  
  
"Kami,"  
  
"It was from a doctor," she said. Heero raised his brow again. "Godsdammit, it's true, I tell you!"  
  
"I never said it wasn't,"  
  
Trowa set the bottle down on the night stand and Wufei immediately picked it up to look at it. "Kami," Trowa began, "did you talk to Sally about this?"  
  
"Teh, no."  
  
"Don't you think it'd be best if she knew about it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because." Heero glared. "That's my answer, and I'm sticking to it,"  
  
"Kami," they all said at once.  
  
"Fine, then I'll go put it back." She swiped up the bottle in a quick movement and turned on her heel. Heero caught her arm and wretched the bottle away. "Niichan!" He glanced at the label, raised his eyebrow yet again and dragged her outside the room by her arm, berating her in Japanese.  
  
"That was certainly interesting," Wufei commented, sitting back down in his chair. Quatre gave a small smile.  
  
"It's my fault," he said quietly, "I shouldn't have let her bring it,"  
  
"Where'd she get it, Quatre?" Trowa asked, feeling guilty that she was in trouble because of him.  
  
"I'm not sure. After all, she said it was from a doctor."  
  
"He means where did you go to bring it here," Wufei said, sighing again.  
  
"Room four-eighty-one,"  
  
"Which is..."  
  
"The room Heero shares with her," Wufei answered. "Which means it was hers or Heero's, and she wouldn't take something of his, would she?"  
  
Trowa shook his head. "Heero doesn't seem the type to be taking codeine,"  
  
"Well, maybe it was his and he just hasn't used it for awhile." Quatre suggested.  
  
"He would have thrown it out,"  
  
"That's true." Quatre sat on the corner of the bed, carefully making sure he didn't bounce the matress. He gave a deep sigh. "Sometimes I really hate secrets,"  
  
***  
  
A tall, long-haired girl ran down a dark alley. Pausing, she peered around a corner. Night had fallen quickly there on L-1. Sighing, the girl went on, her brown hair trailing behind her as she ran.  
  
Where are you, Twenty-three-eighty-four-forty-six? she thought. She had heard, but didn't believe, the rumours that the girl was back on the colony.  
  
The girl came to a housing development and ran down what seemed to be the main road, searching intently for the girl she once knew. If she had heard correctly, that one boy was here as well. Another rumour, started by Fushiro, said that the Namuris were starting to get paranoid again. Putting two and two together, she had come up with one answer. Twenty-three-eighty- four-forty-six was here on L-1, with the boy, and they were in the Namuris' house...  
  
She had run off earlier that day, but got lost among the roads, not used to being outside in public. Now she came up to a familar house and walked up the driveway, catching her breath. She peeked in through one of the windows, but the shades were dark and drawn. She sighed and knocked on the door lightly.  
  
No one answered. It wasn't that late, she thought and knocked again harder. Dammit, she thought, why isn't anyone answering? It's the right house, I know! Carefully, the girl pulled out a long, slender metal object and stuck it into the doorknob. She regretted doing this, but it had to be done.  
  
The tall figure stuck the pick back into her pocket and turned the knob. The door opened and she crept inside. "Hello?"  
  
The house was dark, no lights on, and as she searched the place, she learned that no one was there. Damn it! she thought, kicking at the floor. She had missed them! The girl sat on one of the beds in the first bedroom. She had turned on the light and stared at the floor, head in hands. Where are you now, Twenty-three-eighty-four-forty-six? The soldier stood and turned to leave when she noticed something.  
  
The sheets were dark, but one could still see the tiny stain in the fabric. She picked up the sheet and looked at the underside. She touched the spot and found it flakey; rubbing at it with her fingernail, she presumed it was blood.  
  
They were here, she confirmed to herself. And not very long ago, either. The blood hadn't dried completely. The girl set the sheets back down, smoothing it out, before heading for the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she found nothing but a carton of expired orange juice. Popping the carton open, she felt the paper. Even without the light from the fridge, she could tell someone had drunk straight out of the box. It was something she had been taught, trained.  
  
The girl closed the refrigeratour, keeping the orange juice in her hand, and left the house silently, remembering to lock the door as she exited. Looking around suspiciously, she ran back down the street to the base so she would be able to grab a seat in the lab and run some tests on the carton.  
  
Hopefully, she would be able to find the girl, and the boy. The trick was not letting the others find out.  
  
***  
  
"Hi, Trowa!" He looked up to see Kami and Duo bounce in.  
  
"Hi," he said carefully. The two sat on either side of his bed, both grinning ear-to-ear.  
  
"Guess what?"  
  
"Hm... I don't know..."  
  
"Guess!" Kami said, giggling.  
  
"You wrecked havoc throughout the space station," Both dissolved into giggles.  
  
"No, that was yesterday," Kami said. "But tomarrow, we're gonna take over the world. Wanna help?" He shook his head, smiling.  
  
"Guess again, Tro-man!" Duo replied.  
  
He thought for a moment. "You're engaged." The two looked at each other before shrieking, "Ew!" and falling off the bed to the floor. Trowa chuckled. "I suppose that was wrong then,"  
  
"Obviously," Duo muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Kami got back onto the bed.  
  
"One more chance, Trowa," Duo crawled back up onto the sheets.  
  
"Oh, geez, I don't know. Really. I honestly don't have a clue." The two long-haired teens grinned, looking at each other and pulled from behind their backs two large brown paper bags each.  
  
"Sugar!" they shouted together. Smiling, they ripped open the closed bags and rumaged through them, placing things on the sheets around Trowa's legs. Rice cakes, inari, creme puffs and eclairs, peanut brittle, popcorn, botan; his sheets were piled with candy and desserts.  
  
"Lookie! Pixi-stix and marshmellows," Kami sighed, looking at the bags.  
  
"Yeah? Well I got... pocky!"  
  
"You found pocky? Really? That's not fair!"  
  
"Heh, sure it is. I got white rabbits, too," Kami said its name in Japanese, staring at the braided boy with awe.  
  
"I got you a bottle of sake," Kami said with a grin after coming out of her reverie. "Wanna get drunk?"  
  
"No, thanks," Trowa said, smiling.  
  
"How come you get rice wine?" Duo pouted.  
  
"'Cause you got pocky."  
  
"Oh. Right," They went back to their bags, gleefully calling out the names of the confections they were pulling out.  
  
"Collan!"  
  
"Korean Cheetos, Trowa, look,"  
  
"Sutokaziclub!"  
  
"Korean Doritos... dude, those people know howta live!"  
  
"Milk Puffs!"  
  
"Chocolate bars,"  
  
"Dan ta!"  
  
"Fafa..." Duo looked at the bag, then shrugged and tossed it down.  
  
"Lookie! Wasabi!" Kami hugged the bag to her chest. "Oh wait... you're vegetarian... darn. Duo, want some wasabi?"  
  
"Later. Flute Cookies,"  
  
"Oreos,"  
  
"Chocolate chips."  
  
Kami looked at him. "A bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips? Duo, those are for baking."  
  
"So? They're good ta eat straight outta the bag!" he said defensively.  
  
"Whatever. Morinaga caramels, mmh... you'll like these, Trowa. They're gooood..."  
  
"Not as good as pocky,"  
  
"No, never as good as pocky. Nothing's better than pocky."  
  
"'Cept for that mango pudding stuff you made me eat yesterady," Kami grinned.  
  
"It was good, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, but... it was green,"  
  
"So?"  
  
Trowa was laughing by the time all the bags were empty. They had thought of everything - from pies to soda, peppermints to gum, wax bottles even.  
  
"How much did you spend on this?" Trowa asked, ripping open a package of banana chips.  
  
"Uh... lesse..." Kami thought for a moment. "twenty-five thousand and eighty-two yen,"  
  
"That's what, nineteen hundred American dollars?" Duo asked. Kami stared him.  
  
"So you do have a brain under all that hair!" Duo gave a mocking glare.  
  
Trowa cleared his throat. "And why did you get all this?"  
  
"'Cause we love ya," Kami chirped happily. She was currently swaying from side to side, a smile pasted across her face as she hummed cheerfully.  
  
"Uh, yeah. What she said," Duo smirked. "No, really, Tro-man. You're our bud!" Kami giggled.  
  
"It's true. We all pitched in, even Sally," Trowa smiled at the thought of Wufei buying junk food.  
  
"Well, I don't think you needed to get all... this..." He waved his hands over his bed. His sheet-covered toes poked out from under the candy.  
  
"But we wanted to,"  
  
"And besides, we didn't know what you liked,"  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"Welcome!" Kami and Duo chorused. There was a pause, and then,  
  
"Can I have the wasabi, Trowa?"  
  
***  
  
"Hihi!" Kami yelled, jumping onto Heero's back. He straightened and tried to turn around, but she was already ontop of him. He was in their room, his laptop on the desk with books and papers spread on his bed, which he was currently leaning over.  
  
"Kami..."  
  
"Yes?" she asked sweetly, leaning over her shoulder to look at him, her jean-covered legs wrapped around his waist.  
  
"What're you doing?"  
  
"What's it look like I'm doing?" She pulled the half-empty bag of wasabi out from her pocket and started munching happily, brushing the crumbs from Heero's hair absently.  
  
"Kami, I've work to do."  
  
"Sho? You ca shtill do it wif me up ere,"  
  
"Kami..."  
  
"Fine." She hopped off his back, still munching cheerfully on her beef chips. "Sho what'cha doin'?"  
  
"Looking for information on the base on L-1."  
  
"Oh. Okay. Why?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"'Kay." She thought for a moment. "Didja know Trowa's okay? He can walk around now, isn't that great?"  
  
"Mh hm,"  
  
"An' me and Duo, we helped out the cooks this morning with breakfast. Isn't that wonderful? We made peanut-butter waffles with chocolate chips!"  
  
"Kami," he looked at her.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Give me the chips."  
  
"Why?" she asked defensively, hugging them to her chest again. He thought for a moment.  
  
"Because I'd like them,"  
  
"Oh. Okay. You coulda said you wanted some." She held out the bag which he took and promptly stuck in his back pocket. "Niichan!" she whined as the chips crunched into tiny pieces. "Why'd you go 'n' do something like *that*?"  
  
"No more sugar for you," he replied, going back to his paper.  
  
"But Niichan!"  
  
"No. You've had more than enough for today. Maybe for all next week. Now go if you're not going to help me."  
  
"But Niichan..." she pouted. "Fine. I'll go. After I get my chips back." She jumped him, trying to pull the bag from his pocket.  
  
"Kami!" He whirled around, trying to grab her. She danced away.  
  
"Ha!" She held up the bag triumphantly and leapt away for safety. "I got 'em back! Haha!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned around. "Eep!" She fell onto the floor, landing on her backside. Trowa looked down at her, a strange look on his face.  
  
"Yes, Trowa?" Heero asked exasperately. No wonder she never ate dessert. The girl's reaction to sugar was outrageous.  
  
"I came to give you these," He stepped up and handed Heero a small stack of disks. "Sally said they might help."  
  
"Thanks." Heero tossed them onto the desk and went back to his papers.  
  
"Sure thing," He turned to leave, but paused, seeing Kami sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth, happily humming and eating chip crumbs. "Heero, would you mind if I took Kami with me?"  
  
"No, please do," he answered gratefully. Trowa smiled.  
  
"C'mon, Kami," he said, walking out the door.  
  
"Okay. Where we goin'?" she asked, following obediently.  
  
"Thank you, Trowa," Heero mumbled and went back to work.  
  
***  
  
Sally walked in to the library. "Your files," she said, tossing the manila envelope towards Kami. She caught it easily and smiled.  
  
"Thanks a bunch, Sally,"  
  
"You're welcome. Anything else?"  
  
"Nope," Kmai said, her nose in the files. Sally looked at Heero, who was balancing two open books in his hand and reaching for another.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks,"  
  
Sally nodded. "I'll be in my office then, if you need anything."  
  
They both nodded absently, absorbed in their work. "If," Heero started, "the Preventers made sure there was no gundanium or titanium being shipped anywhere, how do you suppose the regrowing OZ fractions were able to make suits?" He turned a page in one of the books he held, setting it on the desk. "Preventers made sure they knew of every factoury on Earth and in the colonies. There must have been one underground somewhere and the suits were just shipped to the base we destroyed."  
  
"Mh hm."  
  
Heero looked at her. She was still standing in the middle of the room, reading the papers Sally had just given her, chewing anxiously on her lower lip. "Kami?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you listening to me?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"So what do you think?"  
  
"I dunno,"  
  
"Kami."  
  
"Mh?"  
  
"Earth was just taken over by eight feet tall purple monkeys who speak polar bear-ese and have rabid mice as slaves."  
  
"That's nice,"  
  
"This morning, I woke up to find out my head was missing. The monkeys had taken it, but I was fortunate enough to blow up their planet and get it back. I sewed it back on with dental floss."  
  
"Oh. Alright."  
  
"Kami?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you listening?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"What'd I say?"  
  
"Purple monkeys who rule Earth took your head and you sewed it back on with floss this morning after blowing up the planet the slave mice are from." Heero shook his head, wondering how she did that.  
  
He stepped up behind her and tried to read over her shoulder, but she whirled around, startled, and wouldn't let him see the papers. "Kami, what is it?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Well it's not blank paper, is it."  
  
"Maybe it is," she said defensively, sticking the files in the manila envelope. She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm. "Niichan!" she said, startled.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing, I already told you."  
  
"Then you wouldn't care if I read it."  
  
"I do care."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"Kami,"  
  
"Leave me alone, Niichan," She tried to shrug him off.  
  
"No. It's something important and I wanna see what it is." He shouldn't care, he told himself, don't care, you're not suppose to care. But he did.  
  
"It's paper,"  
  
"Kami, tell me what it is."  
  
"No." He sighed, lunging for the envelope, but Kami twisted around. He was too quick for her, though, and stuck his leg out, tripping her so she fell back. He didn't let her fall, but helped lay her down, hovering over her and still trying to get the papes. She curled up in a ball on the floor, sticking the envelope between her stomach and knees. Heero knelt on the floor beside her, reaching over, and grabbed at it. He missed.  
  
She let go of the papers, uncurling lightening fast. Kami sat up, eyes wide, pushing Heero to the ground only to sit on ontop of him. It was all he could do just to put up his arm fast enough to block hers from hitting the side of his head.  
  
"Dammit!" She hissed after a moment. Her breath shuddred as they stared at each other. "Gods fucking damn it!" She shoved him again and pushed herself up, storming out of the room. Kami slammed the door behind her and stalked down the stairs to the lobby as she redid the button on her jeans.  
  
Heero sat up gingerly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, the other clutching the files. He sighed, uttering a curse. Heero looked down at the files in his hand, skimming the words with his eyes. Two pages later, he threw them on the floor and rushed out of the room.  
  
***  
  
He grabbed her shoulders and threw her up against the wall. He held her there and let his face stand right in front of hers. "You don't understand. She's gone." Sally blinked.  
  
"Heero, she probably went for a walk; the space station has a garden, you know."  
  
"She's not in the garden," he hissed.  
  
"You checked?"  
  
"I didn't have to. I read the files you gave her." Sally sighed akwardly, still pushed up against the wall.  
  
"Heero, maybe if you asked why she had the tests done,"  
  
"I don't care why; She's gone because of them."  
  
"Heero,"  
  
"And besides, she's been missing for three days now,"  
  
"Heero, it's just--"  
  
"No. It's not just anything. Something is wrong, and if you don't find her, I'll kill you." He glared for a few more moments before letting go. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Okay," Sally started, but he was already outside the room and closing the door.  
  
The boy paused in his journey down the hall to look up at Trowa as he spoke his name. "Yes?"  
  
Trowa blinked thrice before taking a stride towards him. Heero fought down both the natural instinct and learned training that told him to step away. Trowa cocked his head to the side slightly as he studied Heero's form. "Heero, are you alright?"  
  
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked through gritted teeth.  
  
"... Kami? L-1? How should I know?" he asked. Heero shrugged, looking off down the hall. Trowa smiled slightly. "You washed your hair with soap again, didn't you?" Heero turned back to look at him, brows furrowed.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Trowa shrugged, still smirking. With Heero facing to the side, a certain clump of his hair waved past Trowa's face and swayed under his nose as if teasing him.  
  
"Your hair smells like the bar soap in the shower room." Heero sighed before glaring slightly.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Why don't you use shampoo?" Trowa implored, genuinely curious.  
  
Heero shrugged, "Saves time," he answered, looking back down the hall. Trowa glanced in the same direction. No one was there.  
  
"Okay." He studied Heero closely, his observant eye picking up all his blinks, the wrinkles in his shirt, the way he clutched his fists. "Heero... What's wrong?"  
  
"What makes you think something's wrong?" This time, Heero's eyes didn't waver to him. Trowa said nothing; instead, he reached out and placed his large hands on the boy's shoulders. Heero shivered quickly before whipping his head around to glare at the older boy. "What?"  
  
Trowa shook his head slowly. "Nothing, I was just getting your attention." Heero glared, and turned back to look down the hall. Trowa sighed and let his hand drift down to take hold of Heero's left wrist, leaving his own left hand on Heero's shoulder. Heero spun his head to face him, stepping back at the same time.  
  
"What're you doing? Trowa, stop,"  
  
The Latin boy held the wrist firmly in his hand in a way that the Jap's elbow was bent and his wrist was at the same level as his shoulder, as he stared into Heero's face. "Something's wrong. Tell me."  
  
"Nothing's wrong!" Heero replied, his voice a bit too high to be the truth. Trowa raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Heero,"  
  
"Let go, okay? Just, just let me go." Heero struggled weakly, as if not really caring.  
  
"Not until you tell me what's wrong." Trowa insisted.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, okay? Now let me go!" The older of the two watched, somewhatly amused, as Heero tugged futilely to free his wrist. "Trowa, please?" He shook his head halfway before letting it hang. Heero's voice dropped as he tried to step back. "Trowa, let go, please, let me go..."  
  
"Heero,"  
  
Barely above a whisper, Heero admitted, "Trowa, let go, please? You're hurting me..." Trowa blinked, his heart sinking suddenly. He dropped the boy's wrist and let his hand waver there for a moment before reaching out and cupping Heero's downcast face in his hand to bring it up. His fingers brushed the throat as his palm held the side of the jaw and his thumb rested softly at the edge of his cheek bone.  
  
"I barely touched you," Trowa stated. Heero's throat hitched as he stepped back.  
  
"I know," he whispered. Trowa thought of letting go, but decided against it - Heero would probably drop his head down again. So instead, he let his thumb brush the corner of Heero's eye, wiping away the tiny drop of brine that threatened to spill over.  
  
Trowa's brow creased. "Heero," he admonished. The Japanese boy's throat hitched again before he closed his eyes and fell forward onto Trowa. Startled, Trowa groped for him, thinking him unconscious.  
  
"I'm sorry," Heero apologized softly, wrapping his arms around Trowa's waist for a tight hug.  
  
"For what?" Trowa asked, smiling, relieved, as he placed his hands on Heero's back and shoulder. The younger's arms snaked up to clasp behind Trowa's neck.  
  
Heero didn't answer, only began to cry into the green turtleneck. Trowa swallowed, unsure of what to do. Think, he told himself, then quickly made up his mind. He bent to grab Heero's knees and carried the boy down the hall to his room. Better inside than in front of a passerby, he thought as he tried to set Heero on the bed.  
  
"Heero, please, you're choking me," The grip around his throat lessened, but Heero still did not release him. "Heero, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Trowa raised his eyebrow.  
  
"Heero... you wouldn't do this over nothing, what happened?" The Japanese boy gasped for air, and Trowa lost his balance. They landed on the bed, the Latino ontop of the Jap. "Heero, let go, I'll crush you,"  
  
"No, it's nothing," he heard Heero mumble. Trowa sighed, and tried to roll off of him. It didn't work - Heero went wherever he did.  
  
"Heero, please," They had ended up sprawled across the bed, the sheets rumpled, and the pillow on the floor. Trowa's legs hung off the bed at his knees, and the smaller boy laid ontop his chest, clutching at the turtleneck. "Heero, my ribs," Trowa winced. He got no answer. He managed to shake the boy's shoulders, and heard a delicate sniff and a tiny murmur. "What? I didn't hear you,"  
  
"... I didn't do it..." Trowa looked down as best as he could at Heero's face. Closed eyes and slightly parted lips told him he was asleep. Trowa tried to shake him awake, still being grasped tightly. After a few minutes, he gave up and let his head loll back. He stared at the ceiling, listening to the ragged breathing of the boy on top of him.  
  
It was unusual to see Heero so helpless. Duo had broken a few times, Wufei had cracked once or twice, and Quatre seemed to fall every once in awhile, but never had he seen the Jap cry. He didn't know what to do. Duo needed to be hugged and given comforting words, Wufei just needed to be listened to, and Quatre was to be cuddled and talked to. Kami seemed to just need a smile and a pat on the back to cheer up, but her brother's consolation was a complete mystery to him.  
  
After a moment of thought, Trowa put his hands on Heero's back and rolled, bringing his knee up. He leaned over the Japanese boy carefully, and brought up the other knee to balance himself as Heero's head lolled back a little. He placed his hands on the bed above Heero's shoulders to hold himself up so not to crush the smaller form.  
  
"Niichan," Kami asked cautiously as she walked in, closing the door behind her. Trowa turned his head to look at her, startled, knowing she had stopped in the middle of her stride. She stood motionless, staring at the sight before her. Kami swallowed, her face blank. "What're you doing?"  
  
"Can you help, Kami...?" he whispered, doing his best to nod at Heero's sleeping form. Kami's face wavered for a moment before she swallowed again.  
  
"Depends." she said, looking between them.  
  
He sighed. "It's not like that," he explained gently, "It's a long story, I'll explain it all if you help,"  
  
"You'll explain it now," she answered, "Before I do something... drastic." Trowa sighed, looking down at Heero. She still hadn't moved, and Heero wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, he could tell.  
  
"I told you, it's nothing like that," Trowa relayed for her a shortened form of the story, but she didn't look convinced. "Kami, why would I lie?"  
  
"To save your hide," came the automatic response.  
  
"Kami, if there was anything going on like that, don't you think I would've told you?"  
  
"Not unless I specifically asked about it." He sighed, getting no where.  
  
"No," Heero mumbled. Kami's expressionless face turned dark the second she heard the word. Barely a moment of hesitation passed before she sprinted across the rug to the bed. She lifted Heero a bit, pulling him out from under Trowa, and at the same time, grasped his wrists so he'd let go of the turtleneck. Trowa stood quickly, standing behind her and slightly to the side as she checked over Heero.  
  
"You see? He's fine, Kami," he said when she was done. She turned, glaring dangerously.  
  
"Get out." she hissed. He blinked. "I said get out." He sighed, "Leave now if you know what's best for you." Kami growled.  
  
He turned smartly on his heel and strode out, not looking back. He only hoped Heero would remember what had happened so he could clear his name. Kami closed and locked the door behind the Latin boy before returning to the bed. She gently pulled Heero's body to the side so he was laying the right way and fetched the pillow from the floor. She sighed after a moment, looking at the clock, and then crawled up next to the sleeping figure, bringing the blankets with. Not laying down, she smoothed the sheets around herself and Heero.  
  
Kami opened her mouth to speak as she turned to face Heero, but thought better of it and laid her head next to his. "Shit," she mumbled before she fell asleep, her body draped over his.  
  
***  
  
Heero awoke groggily, not moving as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His cheeks felt caked for some odd reason. He tried to get up, not remembering crawling into his bed, when he noticed Kami. Her leg was thrown over both his, her torso on his chest. Kami's head rested on his shoulder and he felt her breath on his neck. Her hands were in his hair.  
  
"Imoto (Little sister)...?"  
  
"Mmh...?" She cuddled up closer to him, if it was possible, one hand dropping to clasp the back of his neck. Heero closed his eyes and rubbed her back gently as she struggled awake. The clock on the nighstand said four forty-six in the morning. "What is it?"  
  
"There're two beds, ya know," he whispered, toying with her hair.  
  
"I know." was the reply. Kami propped herself up on her elbows and looked at his face, her hair falling to curtain around their heads and pool on the pillow. Her brows furrowed as she looked him over. "Daijoubou desu ka (Are you alright)?" she whispered. He nodded slowly, unsure. "I'm sorry," Kami mumbled, sticking her nose in the juncture of his collarbone.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For everything, I suppose..."  
  
"Kami...?"  
  
"I shouldn't have run off like that," she murmured, "Not without leaving a note or something. I didn't mean to.. to snap at you... I didn't mean to scare you so badly - Sally told me what happened in her office. I, I should have been here... for you..." He moved his head abit, trying to look at her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Kami looked up. After a moment, she blinked. "You don't remember...?"  
  
"Remember what?" He remembered yelling at Sally, walking down the hall, talking to... "It's Trowa isn't it?" Her face darkened.  
  
"I'll kill him." she growled, shifting her weight around. She managed to sit up and pushed away the blanket. "I'm going to kill him," she announced again, standing and making sure her gun was loaded. Heero quickly sat up, wincing as his head throbbed in protest.  
  
"Wait," he grabbed her arm, "Trowa? You're going to kill Trowa? Why?" Kami turned, partly startled.  
  
"Niichan..." she blinked, "I, you, he..." Heero immediately understood.  
  
"Sit down, Kami," he ordered softly, ignoring his headache. "Put away the gun, come back to bed," Only after several minutes of thought and coaxing did she do as he asked. "Kami, don't kill him." She opened her mouth but he cut her off with a finger to her lips. "And don't shoot him either. No stabbing, no bombing, nothing. You hear me?" Kami nodded slowly. "Promise," he said, holding out his arm as if they were going to shake hands.  
  
Kami grasped his hand and they put their thumbs together, pressed up against the other's, while the other hand came around to rest on top of it all. "I promise. Unless he provokes it," she added.  
  
"Kami, it isn't what you think," She gave a soft snort. "I was worried - the files and you running off. He was trying to help..."  
  
"Pah,"  
  
"Kami,"  
  
"Go back to sleep, Niichan," she said sharply. "We'll discuss it at a decent hour if we have to."  
  
"No." She looked at him. "We discuss it now."  
  
"Fine." He explained what happened in short, clipped sentences, starting at when she stormed out of the room and ending with falling asleep on the bed, using the excuse of stress to explain the whole break-down thing. "That doesn't mean a thing," she said.  
  
"I'd think I'd know, Kami," he snapped, harsher than he wanted to be. She was surprised by the tone of his voice, but covered it up.  
  
"Fine." She laid her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes.  
  
"Kami," he swallowed, "I'm sorry," She opened her eyes at the whispered apology. "I didn't mean to pop the button on your jeans, it's just..." She nodded jerkily, taking a deep breath.  
  
"It was part my fault, too, I guess,"  
  
"No it wasn't."  
  
"Yes, it was," Kami said firmly. "I uh... I asked Sally to do some tests. They, uh... they're for Preventers." Heero blinked. "I um, I decided to try to join it. I mean, what's the point of having training if you're never going to use it?"  
  
"You're in Preventers?"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "I'm not. Unn has to decide if they take me on or not. I don't think they will. I have too many... problems..."  
  
"Problems?"  
  
"Will you stop repeating everything I say?" Kami snapped. "Gesh. If you have a headache, which you probably have because everytime you have one you repeat everything, there's aspirin in the night stand drawer." Heero glared slightly, but reached over to fumble for the bottle.  
  
"What problems?" he asked again, popping some pills into his mouth.  
  
"Well, my lactose intolerance for one. I can't even eat pocky half the time anymore. And I have low blood sugar, which is why you are forbidding me to eat wasabi ever again. And... I'm... skiddish."  
  
"Skiddish?" She nodded.  
  
"About, you know, that hospital thing... and Drewmaud. I could be a handicap on a mission or something. Besides... I tend to take things too seriously when it involves... yeah," she gave a lopsided grin as she snorted. "Whatever," Heero sighed. "That's why I didn't tell you, 'cause I knew she wouldn't put me on."  
  
"Unn'll find a way to put you on somehow. She might just stick you in the library or something, but you'll end up as a Preventer." Kami smiled.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Um..." She blushed. "Nevermind,"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow. "Alright."  
  
She smiled again. "Go back to sleep now, Niichan. We still have three hours until Sally expects us in the cafeteria to go back," she paused, "home," Heero nodded and laid down beside her.  
  
"Home is good,"  
  
***  
  
[Chapter Six Finished]  
  
[Chapter Seven Teaser - "No, no, I can't do this," She rolled over, her hair curtaining her face. Heero watched her, his hand still in the air.]  
  
***  
  
A/N: All that junk food stuff, if ya wanna know what it all is, just ask, 'kay? Some of it's Japanese, some is Korean and some is Chinese, just in case you didn't know. And I *finally* got that other pilot in there... whew... I am sooo lazy... But don't worry, there's only four more chapter to go! Yay! And then it'll be done and over with and I won't have to shudder at the thought of this piece of crap anymore...  
  
[*chibifies*] And please don't hurt me for the thing with Trowa... it's got a really good reason, I swear it, and he's the good guy again next chapter, okay? I promise! [*hides under blanket*]  
  
***  
  
And if it isn't too much to ask, Melanie, would you mind emailing me after reading this? I'd like to talk to you about stuff (no, nobody's in trouble ^^). 


End file.
